New (or new to me) Gallery Reviews
Here are reviews of fifteen galleries that I recently visited for the very first time. About a third are brand new-ish (e.g. opened within the last 12 months) and the rest are simply new to me. Some of them I only just learned about even though they’ve been operating for over a decade, while others have been patiently waiting for me to come visit. (Sorry it took me so damn long!)
All of these are permanent spaces (e.g. not pop-ups) but many of them have limited or restricted opening hours.
⚠️ Please be sure to check the venue website and/or Instagram to confirm opening days/times before you visit. ⚠️
If you know of other art spaces that have recently opened, or that I haven’t yet visited, please get in touch.
CENTRAL
Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, Marylebone, Mayfair, Soho, St. James’
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Who, I hear you asking? This gallery was founded in 2013 in Düsseldorf but most Londoners probably know them as the gallery that Harlesden High Street partnered with (do NOT call it a sell out!) so they could put on Mayfair exhibits in GRIMM’s former Bourdon Street space. In addition to those joint shows the gallery plans to split presentations between their existing roster and emerging London talent.
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Dirimart London / @dirimart (Oxford Circus)
This venue only opened their generous two-story footprint on Princes Street in September 2025 but the gallery was founded in Istanbul in 2002. Their roster is ~50/50 between Turkish and international artists and with 23 years of Eurasian art experience I’m excited to see what foreign concepts and influences they’ll introduce to London’s art scene.
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Norito Gallery / @noritogallery (Oxford Circus)
Almost two years old, this one-room, 1st floor gallery, located next to the very buzzy Beak Street entrance to Kingly Court, has a primary, but not exclusive, focus on emerging East and Southeast Asian artists. The gallery name comes from the Korean word for Playground and they aim to put on ~8 shows a year, each running 4-6 weeks in length.
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IBRAAZ / @ibraazlondon (Fitzrovia)
The “gallery” inside this charity dedicated to art, culture, and ideas from the Global Majority (e.g. Middle East & North Africa) is better described as a community hall that artists transform into a visually stimulating space to foster engagement. The inaugural install will host a weekly public programme of lectures, performances, book launches, and music. Read more about it here.
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YDP / @ydp_space (Tottenham Court Road)
Set inside a Grade I Listed eighteenth-century townhouse, this newly opened art space with a focus on contemporary Asian artists is a nonprofit initiative of China-born, London-based philanthropist and art collector Yan Du. It’s free and open to all and worth a visit just to explore the seven rooms, plus a conservatory, spread across three public levels of the stunning building.
EAST
Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, Clerkenwell, Farringdon, Holborn, Hoxton, Shoreditch, Whitechapel… basically anything else east of Goodge Street
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RAUMX (Kentish Town West)
Super friendly, super welcoming artist Martina Geccelli has been generously opening up her studio for invited artists to put on gallery-style shows for thirteen years. The invitations often involve a London artist working in dialogue with an international artist, but there’s no fixed style or programme. She only hosts 2-4 shows a year, each running for ~3 weeks and only open to the public on Saturdays, so be sure to check her site to confirm when it’s open.
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Bobinska Brownlee New River / @bobinskabrownlee (Islington)
If for any reason you don’t like whatever show you’ve gone to see, just drag your feet on the way out. The friendly hosts have a lovely permanent collection on display in their North Islington home, which you’ll pass through on the way to the back garden gallery that’s been converted from an old underground parking garage.
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Piloto Pardo / @__pilotopardo (Barbican)
It’s only been open for two months and this one-room space is already vying for title of smallest gallery in London, but that’s not how they plan to make their mark. Be prepared to confront conceptual shows and other works that aren’t paintings (London already has enough galleries doing that!) that might require you to read the handout and/or engage with the super friendly Director to learn about the meaning of the exhibits.
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The Second Act / @second_act_gallery (Shoreditch)
Fittingly located in a Grade II listed workshop within the Boundary Estate, constructed in 1900 as the first social housing scheme in England, this gallery places “an emphasis on the inclusion of artists for the North and those from working class backgrounds” and runs a dynamic programme of work that challenges many of the norms you’ll find in more mainstream focussed galleries.
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Finch Gallery London Fields / @finchgallerylondonfields (London Fields)
This venue is primarily a laid back cafe serving Middle Eastern street food, but they turned a small room into a gallery and put a picnic table in the middle so you can have an artistic “private” dining experience, though the room is open to all. An additional large wall in the venue is also used for displays. New shows runs every 3-4 weeks.
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Wilton Way Gallery / @thewiltonwaygallery (Hackney)
I found something surprising inside a Hackney vintage shop that you rarely encounter anymore: steep and narrow steps that predate every UK staircase regulation. Don’t worry, the steps are sturdy but there’s also a display window outside for those who aren’t brave and balanced enough to climb down into the quirky one-room basement, where you’ll encounter an artist-led space where those putting on a show “can create whatever they like and present their work however they want”. The gallery opened in Sept ‘24 and shows change every 1-2 months.
WEST
Chelsea, Kensington, Hyde Park, Lisson Grove, Notting Hill, Victoria
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Dorothy Circus Gallery / @dorothycircus (Marble Arch)
This gallery has gone all-in on a very specific style of work. Some describe it as Pop Surrealism and others refer to it as part of the lowbrow art movement. Whatever you want to call it you can be sure it will probably involve cartoonish female figures that are simultaneously sweet, sexy and scary. The large gallery has a dimly lit, dark and moody decor to match but don’t let that put you off. It’s run by a super friendly, highly approachable bunch.
SOUTH
Anything South of the Thames.
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Flat Time House (Peckham Rye)
The clue is in the name: it’s the former residence of English conceptual artist John Latham (1921-2006). The venue now serves as a gallery, event space, centre for alternative learning and occasionally offers artist residency… often all at the same time. And it has one of the most show stopping permanent window displays I’ve seen at a gallery: a giant book crashing through the front glass.
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MOCA London / @moca_london (Peckham Rye)
This “project space” has no formal exhibition structure and like dining at Wagamama the displays will be served up as and when they’re ready. Which might explain why I’d never even heard of it despite it being around for twenty years! It’s a single room located on the ground floor of a house, and Director Michael Petry was super friendly, energetic and engaging to chat with.
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Tension Fine Art / @tensionfineart — (Penge)
You know you’re not in a Mayfair gallery when the invigilator asks if you’d like a cup a tea before you’ve even introduced yourself! This six year old artist-run gallery has been patiently trying to get me to visit for quite a few years, and the warm welcome and arty chat we had made the trip worthwhile. It’s the only gallery in town, so if you’re going all the way to Penge I suggest you also plot out a route to see some of the Penge Street Art and end with a visit to marvel at the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. 🦖
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