Calling all culture vultures, London’s art scene has some exciting upcoming exhibitions to add to your gallery list. We want to share our must-sees this summer and for later in the year.
There is nothing more relaxing than visiting an exhibition and switching off from the world outside, we hope these will inspire you to do the same! Plan your evenings and weekends to take in some art and discover something new.
Georgia O’Keeffe – 6 July -30 October ’16 – Tate Modern
The late American artist Georgia O’Keeffe is well known for her abstract flower forms – they are often considered shocking and vibrant expression of femininity. Her work is abstract but always emotional and deeply human.
Keeffe is considered America’s first great modernist painter, using explosions of colour and nature as a spring board to express ideas and emotions.
Explore this exhibition to see the language of emotion through Keeffe’s drawing and painting. London’s Tate Modern is now holding a major retrospective of her work. With no other British exhibitions of O’Keeffe’s artwork this is a rare opportunity to see her work.
“Men put me down as the best woman painter. I think I’m one of the best painters.” Georgia O’Keeffe
More info and tickets here.
David Hockney 82 Portraits and 1 Still Life – Royal Academy -2 July – 2 October ’16
One of the biggest shows of the year, British artist David Hockney is not to be missed. The Yorkshireman’s subjects for this exhibition are friends and acquaintances painted whilst in LA, a place he has used many times before as inspiration for his art. In this exhibition each work is the same size and with the same background, however there is something about this uniformity that brings the exhibition together seamlessly. Due to it’s popularity booking is essential even if you are a Friend (membership card holder).
“Who can help but be moved by a project so simply profound.” – The Times
More info and tickets here.
The Summer Exhibition – Royal Academy – 13 June – 21 August ’16
What makes the Summer Exhibition so unique is that anyone can apply to submit their work, from amateur artists to experts! Every year the walls of the Royal Academy are adorned with varied artworks all with their own unique story. There is something exciting about not knowing what to expect room to room and the variety of work on display is astounding. From video installations to beautiful sculptures to minuscule paintings – this exhibition covers the quirky to the beautiful all within one exhbition. With over 1,200 works, most of the pieces are available for sale – what a fantastic chance to collect a piece that could be by the next big artist, you never know!
More info and tickets here.
Yayoi Kusama – Victoria Miro – until 30 July
If you live in London there’s no doubt that you will have most probably heard of the Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins & Chandelier of Grief exhibition at the Victoria Miro galleries whilst flicking through Time Out or the Evening Standard on the tube. Covering three locations of Victoria Miro’s gallery spaces including Mayfair and Islington the exhibition demonstrates mirror rooms, paintings and pumpkin sculptures. Kusama has been chosen as one of TIME magazine’s World’s 100 Most Influential People with her exhibitons being consistenly the most visited worldwide, last year drawing record-breaking visitor numbers. Immerse yourself in the reflective qualities of the works and unique patterns created in the paintings. This exhibition is only on until the 30 July so catch it before it closes soon!
More info here. Free entry.
Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear – V&A – until March ’17
A rare chance to explore the fascinating topic of underwear through the ages from the 18th century to the present day. With over 200 underwear pieces featured for men and women all sorts of issues are explored from notions of the ideal body to and the relationship between underwear and fashion. Designers such as Stella McCartney and Paul Smith are featured.
More info and tickets here.
We also wanted to share several of our favourite exhibitions to look forward to later in the year.
Picasso Portraits – National Portrait Gallery – 6 October – 5 February ’17
First up is Picasso Portraits coming to the National Portrait Gallery in October and we can’t wait! Focusing on the artist’s portrayal of friends, family and lovers Picasso showcases various artistic styles alongside his more well known caricature paintings. 6 October ’16- 5 February ’17, more info and tickets here.
Hair by Sam Mcknight – Somerset House- 2 November – 12 March ’17
We also had to include an exhibition we are particularly looking forward to – Hair by Sam McKnight at Somerset House. This exhibition will explore the creative process of the craft of hair styling within fashion. We will be doing a full review on aer diaries of this exhibition later this year so be sure to check it out!
