18 art exhibitions to see in London in November 2023
November brings an exciting array of new exhibitions to London, featuring a diverse range of artists and styles. Highlights include a showcase of celebrated British artist Antony Gormley's works at White Cube, an exhibition dedicated to the pastel masterpieces of Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard, and the highly anticipated Women in Revolt! exhibition at Tate Britain. Don't miss our pick of 18 outstanding exhibitions taking place in London this November. For additional options, be sure to explore our October exhibition round-up as well.
Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec
Image: Edgar Degas. Dancers on a Bench, c. 1898. Pastel on tracing paper. 53.7 x 75.6 cm. Lent by Glasgow Life Museums on behalf of Glasgow City Council. Bequeathed by William McInnes, 1944. Photo: © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection.
#FLODown: The Royal Academy of Arts will host an exhibition titled Impressionists on Paper: Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec. This exhibition explores how late 19th-century French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists transformed the perception of works on paper, like drawings and pastels. It showcases about 80 works from artists such as Degas, Monet, and van Gogh, blurring the lines between drawing and painting. The exhibition spans various decades, highlighting the growing appreciation of works on paper in the 1890s and 1900s.
Date: 25 November 2023 - 10 March 2024. Location: Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London, W1J 0BD. Price: £19 - £21. Book now.
Antony Gormley: Body Politic
Image: Antony Gormley's Body Politic at White Cube.
#FLODown: Antony Gormley's Body Politic exhibition delves into our relationship with the industrially constructed world. This exploration takes place at a crucial juncture, where our need for refuge intersects with our inherent migratory nature. Across five new bodies of work, Gormley examines the balance between sanctuary and control, freedom and discipline. He uses the language of sculpture to emphasise silence, stillness, and materiality, prompting viewers to reflect on their own freedoms of movement and thought.
Date: 22 November 2023 - 28 January 2024. Location: White Cube, Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ. Price: Free.
If Not Now, When?
Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain, 1960 – 2023
Image: Christine Kowal Post, Amazons Installation, 2000.
#FLODown: If Not Now, When? celebrates the artistic contributions of 29 female sculptors from the 1960s to the present. This exhibition highlights the resilience of women in male-dominated fields, showcasing renowned sculptors and rediscovering underrepresented artists. Divided into three chapters, it explores the theme of time, women's roles, and societal issues, culminating in a message of hope and change. This exhibition is seen as a crucial step in recognising and celebrating women's impact on the world of sculpture.
Date: 15 November - 22 January 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £10. Concessions available. Book now.
Discover Liotard & the Lavergne Family Breakfast
Image: Jean-Etienne Liotard. The Lavergne Family Breakfast, 1773. Oil on canvas, 81 x 103 cm. Private collection. © Courtesy the owner / photo: The National Gallery, London.
#FLODown: Discover Liotard & the Lavergne Family Breakfast at the National Gallery, reunites a pastel masterpiece by Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard and the oil copy he completed almost twenty years later, for the first time in 250 years. The Lavergne Family Breakfast, considered Liotard's masterpiece, portrays a breakfast scene involving a woman and a young girl, set against a still life. The pastel was last exhibited in 1755 and became a part of the National Gallery's collection in 2019. The exhibition delves into Liotard's unique use of both media and his innovative career as an artist who extensively travelled, capturing his journeys and encounters through drawings. It also explores the delicate pastel medium and the stories behind the objects depicted in his work, with the aim of shedding light on Liotard and his masterpiece.
Date: 16 November 2023 - 3 March 2024. Location: The National Gallery Sunley Room, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. Price: Free.
David Hockney: Drawing from Life
Image: Celia, Carennac, August 1971 by David Hockney, Coloured pencil on paper, © David Hockney, Photo Credit: Richard Schmidt, Collection The David Hockney Foundation.
#FLODown: The National Portrait Gallery's autumn program will see the return of the exhibition, David Hockney: Drawing from Life, which was staged for just 20 days before the Gallery's closure due to Covid in March 2020. This exhibition delves into David Hockney's six-decade-long career, showcasing his intimate portraits of five subjects, including his mother, Celia Birtwell, Gregory Evans, Maurice Payne, and himself. Hockney's close relationship with these sitters allows him to experiment with various mediums, from traditional pencil and ink to modern techniques like photographic collage and iPad art. In 2023, the exhibition will also present more than thirty new portraits created between 2021 and 2022, capturing friends and visitors at Hockney's Normandy studio.
Date: 2 November 2023 - 21 January 2024. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE. Price: from £21 / £23.50. Book now.
Ainu Stories: Contemporary Lives by the Saru River
Image: The Cipsanke boat festival in Nibutani. Photo by Ogawa Masaki.
#FLODown: The exhibition, Ainu Stories Contemporary Lives by the Saru River, sheds light on the contemporary lives of the Ainu people in southern Hokkaido, Japan. It explores the revival of their language, textiles, crafts, and traditions, with a focus on four key themes. Additionally, it reveals historical ties between the UK and Biratori and offers a rich events program covering various aspects of Ainu culture, featuring guest contributions from Biratori throughout the exhibition period.
Date: 16 November 2023 – 21 April 2024. Location: 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA. Price: Free. Website: japanhouselondon.uk.
In House: Bamidele Awoyemi and Adia Wahid
Image: Adia Wahid, Glitch - The City As A Palimpsest, installation view at Cooke Latham Gallery, 2022. Photography © B K Deakin.
#FLODown: In House: Bamidele Awoyemi and Adia Wahid is the first in a series of duo exhibitions organised for Studio Voltaire's artists and tenants. The exhibition focuses on patterns in their practices, exploring the way patterns convey meaning in our everyday lives. Both artists use patterns to create dialogues, drawing connections between various symbols and motifs. Bamidele Awoyemi engages with storytelling techniques to gain insights into our cultures and rituals, while Adia Wahid's work explores the complex interplay of time and cultural influences through layered diagrams. Their art reveals how patterns can replace words and visually convey meaning.
Date: 8 November 2023 – 14 January 2024. Location: Studio Voltaire, 1a Nelsons Row, London, SW4 7JR. Price: Free.
Women In Revolt!
Image: Gina Birch 3 Minute Scream 1977 © Gina Birch.
#FLODown: Women in Revolt! is a groundbreaking exhibition, surveying the work of more than 100 British women artists from 1970 to 1990, a period marked by significant societal, economic, and political changes. The exhibition spans diverse mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, and performance, and explores pivotal moments such as the Women's Liberation movement, legal changes affecting women, maternal and domestic experiences, cultural movements like Rock Against Racism and Punk, the Greenham Common peace movement, the visibility of Black and South Asian Women Artists, Section 28, and the AIDS pandemic. Celebrating women often marginalised by mainstream art institutions, the show highlights their contributions to British culture and their legacy for future artists.
Date: 8 November 2023 - 7 April 2024. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Price: from £17. Concessions available. Book now.
The Cult of Beauty
Image: 12 Reasons You’re Tired All The Time, 2013, Photograph. Credit: © Juno Calypso. Courtesy the artist and TJ Boulting.
#FLODown: The Cult of Beauty at the Wellcome Collection will delve into the ever-evolving concept of beauty, scrutinising its connection to morality, social status, health, age, race, and gender. The exhibition explores three themes: 'The Ideals of Beauty,' 'The Industry of Beauty,' and 'Subverting Beauty,' challenging established norms and promoting more inclusive definitions of beauty. Featuring over 200 objects and artworks, along with contributions from artists like Juno Calypso and J.D. Okhai Ojeikere.
Date: 26 October 2023 - 28 April 2024. Location: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE. Price: Free. wellcomecollection.org.
SKATEBOARD
Image: Laura Thornhill, W Bolster Torrance jun-1977.
#FLODown: This week, the Design Museum in London opened its SKATEBOARD exhibition, showcasing seven decades of skateboard design history. The exhibit includes a bespoke mini-ramp inspired by California skate culture, allowing experienced skateboarders to skate on it, alongside around 100 rare skateboards and over 150 related objects. Curated by Jonathan Olivares and Tory Turk, the exhibition offers an in-depth look at skateboard design and its cultural significance.
Date: 20 October 2023 - 2 June 2024. Location: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG.Price: From £14.38. Book now.
Annual Open 2023
Image: 38th Annual Open Exhibition (2022) at Southwark Park Galleries. Photo © Mischa Haller.
#FLODown: The 39th Annual Open in 2023 will be hosted both online and in the Lake Gallery. The event features a £500 prize for a solo exhibition in the Salter Space, generously donated by Breckman & Company. The judges for 2023 are Florence Peake and Tim Spooner. This annual event aims to support artists from across the UK at all career stages, with over 300 works in various mediums, such as drawing, painting, photography, print, sculpture, and video. Since its inception in 1984, the Annual Open has been a significant event in Southwark Park Galleries' calendar, emphasising accessible participation for all, without selection criteria or restrictions on entry.
Date: 11 November - 9 December 2023.Location: Southwark Park Galleries, Southwark Park, London, SE16 2UA. Price: Free.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless
Image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin 1971-95
#FLODown: Saatchi Gallery is presenting a significant Winter exhibition as part of its Season of Sculpture, featuring the largest retrospective of the renowned artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude ever in the UK. Titled Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless, this exhibition traces their artistic journey across six decades, showcasing their iconic projects like the Wrapped Coast in Australia and The Gates in Central Park, New York City. It's the last exhibition Christo signed off on before his passing, and it underlines their artistic synergy.
Date: 15 November 2023 - 22 January 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, London, SW3 4RY. Price: from £12. Book now.
Pearson Silver Collection
Image: Devlin Candelabra- Credit Noonans: Pearson Collection.
#FLODown: A free exhibition at Noonans Mayfair showcases post-World War II British designer silver from The Pearson Silver Collection. The exhibition highlights the silverware renaissance in the late 1950s, featuring 66 boxes by Gerald Benney and 17 by Stuart Devlin. Stuart Devlin's textured surfaces and Gerald Benney's 'Benney Bark Finish' are prominent. Stuart Devlin's career took off after designing Australia's first decimal coinage. It's a must-see for those interested in contemporary British silver design.
Date: 30 October - 10 November 2023. Location: Noonans Mayfair, 16 Bolton St, London W1J 8BQ. Price: Free. Website: noonans.co.uk.
Delta House Studios - Secret Studio Show
Image: LoveJordan Art immersed in their work!.
#FLODown: Delta House Studios, a hidden gem in London's creative community between Earlsfield and Tooting, invites you to their 'Secret Studio Show' in November. This exclusive event showcases the work of exceptional artists, including the dynamic duo LoveJordan, gaining popularity among celebrity collectors, and classically trained sculptor Mat Kemp, who raises awareness of single-use plastics through his art. Don't miss this unique artistic experience right in the heart of London.
Date: 24 - 26 November 2023. Location: Delta House Studio, Riverside Road, London SW17 0BA. Price: Free.
Nabeeha Mohamed: Tending Bell Flowers
Image: Nabeeha Mohamed South Africa, b. 1988 Gucci GG Marmont, 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 70 x 5 cm
#FLODown: Tending Bell Flowers is Mohamed's first collection of work exhibited in a London gallery, focusing on the theme of tending and care. The artwork explores individual and collective acts of tenderness as envisioned by Nabeeha Mohamed. It features landscape paintings, including her return to Boschenheuvel Arboretum, sculptural pieces, portraits, and abstract flower arrangements. This exhibition represents a shift in Mohamed's artistic dialogue with the Arboretum compared to her previous work, Vanitas Woe, and is complemented by a critical essay by Lindi Mngxitama.
Date: 27 October - 2 December 2023. Location: Gallery 1957, London, SW7 5EW. Price: Free.
As Above, So Below
Image: Barbara Fonte, Film Still 1, Blain(Pústula), 2021.
#FLODown: As Above, So Below curated by Camille Joy, explores the occult and modern witchcraft through various art forms. It encourages visitors to delve into the mysteries of the visible world and heighten their senses, ultimately unlocking their intuitive sixth sense. The exhibition opens on Halloween/Samhain eve with a ‘Witches Ball’ theme. Weekday events include mystical animal painting, and evening events feature workshops, meditations, and performances.
Date: 31 October - 25 November 2023. Location: Unit 3, Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, NW1 3DP. Instagram: @hyphastudios.
Tamara Henderson: Green in the Grooves
Image: Installation views of Tamara Henderson, ‘Green in the Grooves’ at Camden Art Centre, 2023. Photo by Luke Walker.
#FLODown: Green in the Grooves by artist Tamara Henderson explores earthworm ecology. Through a new film, 12 paintings, a sound installation, and sculptures, Henderson highlights the imagination's role in shaping our future. The exhibit also underscores humanity's impact on Earth's cyclical processes, emphasising the importance of the handmade and experimentation.
Date: 6 October - 31 December 2023.Location: Camden Art Centre Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.
Michael Pemberton: The Age of Water
Image: Michael Pemberton, The Last Splash (After Goya: Saturn Devouring his Son), 2023, Oil on linen, Triptych 162 x 339 cm (64 x 132 in).
#FLODown: JC Gallery presents The Age of Water, a solo exhibition by UK artist Michael Pemberton in Mayfair, London. This showcase features five works, including a striking triptych and two diptychs, exploring the relationship between human narratives, the environment, and global themes such as climate change. Pemberton's art, known for its loose brushwork and vibrant colours, blends historical and post-modern references.
Date: 10 November – 22 December 2023. Location: JC Gallery Mayfair,14A Hay Hill, London W1J 8NZ. Price: Free.
Together We Art: Architect of One’s Life
Image: Matthew Hilton, The Heat, 2023, cast iron.
#FLODown:Together We Art at Cromwell Place features a consortium of 18 renowned and emerging international architects and multi-disciplinary artists, including notable figures like Alice Anderson, Thomas Heatherwick, Matthew Hilton, and Nathalie Du Pasquier, as well as emerging talents like Jamie Morgan and Sven Mouton. These artists generously donate their remarkable artworks for the exhibition in support of Life Project 4 Youth. This event not only showcases the artistic and architectural talents of this diverse group but also underscores their commitment to empowering the next generation and raising funds for LP4Y.
Date: 15 - 19 November 2023. Location: Lavery Studio, Cromwell Place, 4 Cromwell Pl, South Kensington, London SW7 2JE. Website: cromwellplace.com.