2023 - Issue 47
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
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After an annual holiday slumber the art scene is back! If it weren’t so cold out I’d be on top of Parliament Hill, spinning around like Julie Andrews, loudly singing “Lon-don is alive… with the sound of art shows!” because a lot opened last week, and a lot were fantastic. Here’s an extra large issue with plenty for you to pick and choose.
This show is a fantastic reminder that many of the most powerful emotions in art — like joy, calm, even fear — only come about from the creation of a work, and that’s an opportunity open to anyone. Exposure is another matter, so national charity Outside In (@outsidein_uk) aims to provide a platform for artists who face significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation. This exhibition, their sixth, is beautifully hung and exquisitely lit in Sotheby’s, with must-read wall text that often illuminates just what the making process has meant for the creators. The majority of works are for sale (most under £1,000) with benefits to both the artists and the charity. January is a cold month, but this show might warm your heart.
‘Humanity - The Outside In National Exhibition 2023’ at Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) until 27 Jan
Visit Outside In for full details about the charity and each of the artists.
Hajar Benjida (@hajarbenji) addresses race, gender, sexuality and motherhood — often in a single photo — via portraits of unsung but often important players in Atlanta’s hip-hop scene: the dancers at Magic City strip club. This is proud imagery with calm, confident poses that are distinctly not for the male gaze. How you view this show will likely say more about your biases (unconscious or otherwise) than you’ll be comfortable with, but you simply won’t know unless you go.
‘Atlanta Made Us Famous’ at TJ Boulting (@tjboulting) until 28 Jan
The large works in this group show of emerging female artists have so much detail that captivates and confuses. Like… what the hell is happening under the shirt of the smoker by Noemi Conan (@noemiconan)? I’m as mystified as that cat! Alya Hatta (@alyahatta) paints figures that float and bend over and around each other in Escher-like ways, sometimes disappearing altogether by blending right into the collaged fabric background. And Jemisha Maadhavji (@jemisha_maadhavji) clearly has the skills to paint a strait-laced portrait and I’m so glad to see her pushing against that. Her three works on display are a terrific sampler set of an artist in the process of finding their visual style and voice.
‘Friends and Family: Part II’ at Pi Artworks (@piartworks) until 28 Jan
The street art spirit is kicking and screaming inside two small rooms overflowing with works from 19 artists who’ve made pieces that primarily communicate via the written word. Ok, not all the art. Some is just Schnauzer dogs made from string. And a rather gruesome video piece, that might just be a medical archive of a cataract extraction, is curiously soundtracked by The Stripper song. (Trust me, you know the song.) The works are sarcastic, irreverent, occasionally confrontational but above all, fun. This ain’t no Mayfair gallery show. Curated by Stephen Harwood (@stephenharwoodartist).
‘Shot Pint Riot’ at Studio 1.1 (@studio1.1_london) until 29 Jan
How do you like your desire? Flowery and organic like Li Hei Di (@plum_black_field) and Katarina Caserman (@casermankatarina), or alluring and explicit like Saskia Colwell (@saskia_colwell)? There’s also a creepy Kermit and creepier clowns from Alexis Soul-Gray (@alexis_soul_gray) — along with two other emerging artists in this tight group show that only has eight works, and that’s all it needs.
‘Conscious Unconscious’ at Pippy Houldsworth (@PippyHouldsworthGallery) until 04 Feb
Art need not be serious, and there’s often something amusing to see at James Freeman. The latest is a solo by Mark Connolly (@mark__connolly) who paints fantastical imagery in thick oil on collaged canvasses. Some echo stories you’ll know, others he’s come up with on his own. Whether or not you can spot which is which, you’ll have a lot of fun looking.
‘an act of god’ at James Freeman (@jamesfreemangallery) until 04 Feb
Seeing this show in 2023 is like giving a teenager a rotary phone. It’s quaint and archaic and — for those of a certain age — a lot less impressive than you remembered it to be. But these are original (replica) Dan Flavin installations. It’s hard to overstate how influential they were, and that makes this a must-see.
‘Colored fluorescent light’ at David Zwirner (@DavidZwirner) until 18 Feb
I’m in love with these black & whites by Leah Gordon (@Leah_Gordon_1804). I’m drawn in by the papier-mâché Mardi-Gras masks, body paint and flamboyant costumes, but these aren’t from a Mexican Day of the Dead. They’re the latest in a long-term project documenting Kanaval, an annual festival in Jacmel, Haiti, during which the local community strengthens their culture through a warts-and-all revisit of their history. If you want to learn more, search for ‘Kanaval’ on BBC iPlayer to watch the documentary Gordon co-directed and co-produced.
‘KANAVAL’ at Ed Cross (@edcrossfineart) until 18 Feb
PLUS — don’t forget to check my What’s On page so you don’t miss any of the other great art shows closing soon.