Biography
Painter, designer and silk-screen printer born in Manchester. He originally studied agriculture and veterinary science, then philosophy at the City Literary Institute in 1944, where he met David Bomberg, Edna Mann and Dorothy Mead (with whom Holden had a close personal relationship for eleven years and working partnership until her death in 1975).

In 1945 these artists followed Bomberg to the Borough Polytechnic and joined his group of students from the Bartlett School of Architecture, drawing at various locations. In 1944-5 Holden conceived the idea of the Borough Group (established 1946 with Bomberg's approval and enthusiastic support), with the first of seven shows taking place in 1947. Holden was elected first president of the group from 1946-8, when he resigned over policy issues, upon which Bomberg took over as president until the group was finally disbanded in 1951. Holden was a founding member of this influential group, along with Dorothy Mead, Edna Mann and Miles (Peter) Richmond and was responsible for writing the groups manifesto's (which have since wrongly been attributed to Bomberg), that were then edited and approved by Bomberg and the other members.

Holden met the Swedish artist Torsten Renquist when Renquist came to see an exhibition at the Parson's Gallery of work by Holden, Dennis Creffield, Dorothy Mead and Miles Richmond; and in 1952 showed in 'Four Englishmen' in Gummerson's Gallery, Stockholm; in 1956 he was invited to show again in Sweden, eventually settling in Gothenburg where he set up a design studio with Lisa Gronwell and Maj Nilson; in 1959 Holden and the studio moved to Marstrand, the trio becoming known internationally as the Marstrand Designers.

Holden is a member of the London Group, a Fellow of the Free Painters & Sculptors, a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, a design associate of the American Institute of Interior Designers, as well as a member of several Swedish artists' associations. Extensive public commissions have included work in hotels, ships, offices, embassies and consulates around the world.

His work is held in a number of public and private collections, including Tate Gallery, London; Victoria & Albert Museum (Textile Archives), London; Arts Council Collection, London; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Graphic Section), Edinburgh; Manchester City Art Gallery (Rutherston Collection) and various Swedish collections.