View of the Whitechapel Gallery's exhibition, 'Gavin Jantijes: To Be Free! A Retrospective 1970 - 2023’
'BUFFER 3', Guts Gallery
Until 30th August, 2024
An exciting opportunity to go and view up-and-coming talent, 'BUFFER 3' is a group show of recent graduates from art institutions around the UK. The exhibition nourishes young talent by supporting their growth in the early career years and provides artists with a unique platform to engage with the wider art world. Presented are a range of figurative and abstract paintings selected specifically for their cutting-edge style. We are especially thrilled to share that THE TAGLI x Folco Collection Mentorship Award 2024 Finalist, KV Doung, is included in the show!
‘Gavin Jantijes: To Be Free! A Retrospective 1970 - 2023’, Whitechapel Gallery
Until 1st September 2024
Gavin Jantijes is an Oxfordshire-based South African artist who has been producing work for over five decades. Having spent formative years in Cape Town during the apartheid, the exhibition showcases how Gavin Jantijes roots his practice in the Black struggle for freedom and connects such themes to cultural life in London and other cities. From etchings, to prints, to large-scale paintings, the retrospective captures the impressive range of themes, practices, and mediums present throughout the artist’s rich career. The highlight of the show is perhaps the final room - a beautiful display of Jantijes's abstract works which eminate a sense of dynamism and harmy all at once through his intelligent use of colour.
'VESSEL', OHSH Projects
Until 8th September 2024
Located within The Bottle Factory on Old Kent Road, a historic Victorian warehouse, this exhibition by OHSP Projects brings contemporary art in conversation with a space filled with layered histories. The art on display includes a range of media from glass, ceramic, to installation art, to highlight how artists adopt both the symbolic and physical idea of a vessell to convey meaning. Whether through its association with notions of displacement, protection, or containment, reflecting on the theme 'vessel' we discover how it is deeply imbedded in all of our lives. OHSH Projects presents a unique experience by encouraing a dialogue to exist between architectural spaces and contemporary art.
'Painting, Smoking, Eating', BEERS London
Until 20th September 2024
In collaboration with the Saatchi Gallery, this exhibition is all about paintings about paintings! The very title of the exhibition has been taken from a Philip Guston painting, setting the tone for a play on words, art history, and tradition throughout the show. The works presented are all by contemporary artists who, in a very refreshing and almost comedic way, specifically demonstrate a self-reflective awarness towards the world in which they are naturally enveloped as artists today. From figurative visions of an artist's day to day life, to ironic plays on art historical traditions, there is a subtle surreal feeling that underscores the collection of works in this show. As a little journey into the behind-the-scenes of the art world, a visit to this exhibition will be sure to bring about some smiles.
'John Stezaker: Spell', The Approach
Until 28th September 2024
This exhibition celebrates the 20-year relationship that the artist John Stezaker has had with The Approach, by bringing together two of his latest bodies of work. The British artist is most well-known for his conceptual collages and re-use of photographic images. By interweaving themes of androgynous figuration, optical illusions, and the non-human, John Stezaker's newer works further insert a sense of ambiguity into the everyday. This exhibition by The Approach beautifully sheds light on how the artist's practice has developed both in dialogue with contemporary culture and his most iconic works since the 1970s.
‘Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520 - 1920’, Tate Britain
Until 13th October 2024
Whether you have read Katy Hessel’s book The Story of Art Without Men or not, this current exhibition at the Tate Britain is a must-see. By including a broad range of genres such as still lives, self-portraits, history paintings, and court paintings, the visitor gains a real insight into the rich tradition of art painted by women, which has for too long been side-lined. Featured are not only well-known names, such as Gwen Johns and Artemisia Gentileschi, but also many lesser known artists whose stories and lives are equally fascinating! The exhibition does a great job at highlighting how women artists from the 16th to the 20th century accessed artistic training and the art market to sustain their livlihoods and break boundaries in the art world. 'Now You See Us' is an inspiring visit and a welcomed step towards divesifying the art historical canon!