Latest news with #exhibitions
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Immersive art and live music at SVA spaces in Stroud this summer
STROUD Valleys Artspace (SVA) has announced a range of exhibitions and events throughout the summer. HIDE by artist Conor Ackhurst runs at SVA's John Street gallery until Saturday, July 26 and explores simulation, constructed environments, and the tension between digital and physical realities. The exhibition highlights Ackhurst's interest in how art can shape and reconfigure perceptions of nature and power. Thursday, July 24 sees the return of Unfurl Sessions, an electronic jazz improvisation event at SVA at the Brunel Goods Shed in Stroud, running from 8pm to 11pm. Under the guidance of award-winning bass guitarist and pedalboard maestro Mike Flynn, attendees can expect a night blending jazz, electronica, spoken poetry and vocals. The event will feature special guests and offer tickets under a pay-what-you-can model at £6, £8, or £10 at the door. On Thursday, July 31, artist Atul Bhunkal's exhibition, titled This ME to — That ME!, opens at the John Street gallery. It will run until Saturday, August 9. This work explores spirituality and transcendence and will take viewers beyond conventional boundaries using meditative art. It promises to be an immersive experience encouraging self-reflection. Following on from his solo show, Atul Bhunkal will also lead a meditative art and healing workshop on Thursday, August 7 at 12pm. Another artist, Akira Roe, is set for a residency period at the John Street site from Tuesday, August 12 to Monday, August 25. During this time, Roe will utilise the gallery space to create large-scale experimental paintings using paint rollers. The focus of these works will be the deconstruction and decolonisation of preconceived notions surrounding myths and folklore. SVA is a multidimensional space provider, which includes studio, project, exhibition and event spaces, at John Street and The Goods Shed. In John Street, there is the 7,000 sq ft town centre renovated warehouse which hosts the SVA gallery, office, event space, cafe/bar area and the 26 SVA artist studios. The Goods Shed is a Brunel designed industrial heritage building which provides a unique space for all kinds of artistic and educational projects, such as carnival preparations, art exhibitions, film screenings and live music. For further information see the SVA website.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Top 4 Summer Art Exhibitions In London At Tate Modern, Hayward Gallery, National Portrait Gallery And Royal Academy Of Arts
Installation view of Yoshitomo Nara. Miss Margaret, 2016. Photo Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery. © Mark Blower 2025 Summer in London is synonymous with culture and I've selected four exhibitions that capture the dynamism and diversity of contemporary art. From the spiritual abstract landscapes of Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern to the emotionally resonant figures of Yoshitomo Nara at Hayward Gallery, the visceral brilliance of Jenny Saville at the National Portrait Gallery, and the glorious sprawl of the RA's Summer Exhibition, these are all unmissable exhibitions. Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern (until October 13th, 2025). Emily Kam Kngwarray installation view at Tate Modern 2025 © Emily Kam Kngwarray Copyright Agency. Licensed by DACS 2025. Photo © Tate (Kathleen Arundell) © Tate (Kathleen Arundell) Tate Modern's groundbreaking retrospective of Emily Kam Kngwarray marks the first major solo exhibition in Europe dedicated to this singular Australian artist. Kngwarray, a senior Anmatyerr woman born around 1914 in the remote Sandover region of the Northern Territory, did not begin painting until her seventies. Yet in the final decade of her life, she produced a formidable body of work that fuses cultural tradition, abstraction, and a deeply personal visual language. Her work stems from her ceremonial and spiritual relationship with her ancestral Country, Alhalker. These are not simply landscapes, but manifestations of knowledge systems, rituals, and ecological stewardship. Early batik works from the 1970s are featured alongside her breakthrough acrylic paintings from the late 1980s, including Emu Woman (1988), a seminal canvas that catapulted her to national recognition. The exhibition–curated in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia–showcases over 70 works, many never exhibited previously outside Australia. Installations of her large-scale batiks drape like banners of Country, while her paintings, such as Ntang Dreaming (1989) and Ankerr (Emu) (1989), use earthy ochres and rhythmic dot patterns to depict food sources, waterholes, and migratory paths. Emily Kame Kngwarreye's middle name, "Kame," is derived from the Anmatyerre word for the pencil yam, a plant particularly significant in her culture and art. Specifically, "Kam" refers to the seeds of the pencil yam (Anwerlarr). The Kam is not only a food source but also a central motif in her paintings, representing her connection to the land and her cultural heritage. At the exhibition's heart lies The Alhalker Suite (1993), a panoramic cycle of 22 canvases that offers a kaleidoscopic vision of her homeland. With hues ranging from pastel pinks to stormy blues, it's a dazzling evocation of seasonal change, flora, and the eternal life force known as Altyerr. Although Kngwarreye began making art as such an advanced age, and lived in a region so removed from the contemporary art world, her incredible talent for translating natural phenomenon into works of art evokes the ability of the Impressionists to capture nature and light on canvas. Observing Kngwarrey's paintings after watching footage of Alhalker, one can see how she has so cleverly conveyed the essence of the natural world in her homeland using natural pigments and an incredible sense of light and movement. Experiencing The Alhalker Suite could almost draw comparisons with seeing Monet's Water Lilies. Bridget Riley's abstract reimagining's of the sun-drenched fields of Provence in high summer also come to mind. Kngwarrey's paintings ping and vibrate with energy and movement, and the sheer volume of work she created is quite mind-blowing. Her late works–especially Untitled (Awely) (1994) and Yam Awely (1995)–show a bold shift to gestural abstraction, stripping her forms to a lyrical essence. This exhibition isn't just about an artist's career; it's about a worldview conveyed through pigment and pattern. It is a rare opportunity to experience an artist who painted not for the market or the academy, but to honour land, law, and legacy. Yoshitomo Nara at the Hayward Gallery (until August 31st, 2025). Installation view of Yoshitomo Nara. Photo Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery. Mark Blower Yoshitomo Nara's first UK public gallery solo show is long overdue, and the Hayward Gallery has delivered an emotionally charged retrospective that captures four decades of the Japanese artist's evolution. Known for his iconic depictions of wide-eyed, childlike figures who oscillate between vulnerability and defiance, Nara's work is much deeper than its deceptively simple style suggests. Organised thematically, the exhibition delves into Nara's formative influences–from his solitary childhood in Japan's Tōhoku region listening to American folk and protest songs, to his transformative years studying in Germany, where he absorbed the emotional immediacy of Neo-Expressionism. In the first, high-ceilinged room of the Hayward Gallery, the exhibition starts with a life-sized recreation of Nara's studio, situated in a handmade shed-like construction, a painting hanging on the exterior depicting a small child standing on verdant green grass against a blue sky, with the words Place Like Home painted in rainbow colours, indicating that the shed-studio is Nara's happy place. Visitors can peer through the windows to see the tools of the artist, pens, pencils, paper, and things that inspire him as he works–from kitsch toys to favourite music. On the wall beyond the shed is a vast display of vinyl, including records that have inspired and informed Nara's work over the years, from folk music to psychedelia to rock and punk. What unfolds as you journey through the galleries is a story of quiet resistance. Nara's figures, often rendered with minimalist brushwork and haunting stillness, become avatars of innocence, trauma, and rebellion. Works like Ships in Girl (1992) reject the saccharine tropes of kawaii culture, instead offering nuanced portraits of psychological unrest. Meanwhile, From the Bomb Shelter (2017), created in response to the 2011 Fukushima disaster, introduces a more sombre tone–a child emerging cautiously into an uncertain world. Sadly this image strongly resonates now, in an era when too many children are still at the mercy of war and conflict. Images such as No War, No Nukes and Stop The Bombs–which shows a child-like figure holding a placard with an anti-war mantra dating back to countercultural movements of the 1960s–are still deeply pertinent now. Nara first came across the anti-war movement during his childhood–when he lived among the US military bases from where soldiers were dispatched to fight in Vietnam–and he heard political folk music and protest songs on the radio. Nara's more recent paintings, such as Midnight Tears (2023), feature tender, fragmented brushwork that radiates introspection. Nara has an incredible ability to paint eyes that are like windows into the soul of his child-like figures, pools of introspection with reflections of pain inflicted on innocents by the outside world. For this painting–which is on loan to the Hayward Gallery exhibition from the Guggenheim Bilbao–Nara revisited the techniques he learned at art school in Dusseldorf of the German Neo-Expressionists, which involved the application of layers of wet-on-wet acrylic paint. The influence of music remains palpable throughout–punk, folk, and blues notes echo in his palettes and postures. While sculpture, collage, and works on paper provide a broader understanding of his practice, it is the paintings that hold viewers in their silent, resolute gaze. Curator Yung Ma calls Nara 'iconic,' and it's hard to disagree. This exhibition is not just a survey–it's a meditation on loneliness, memory, and the redemptive power of making art. Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at the National Portrait Gallery (until September 7th, 2025). Jenny Saville, Drift, 2020–22. Courtesy National Portrait Gallery. Courtesy National Portrait Gallery Few contemporary artists capture the brute force and fragility of the human body like Jenny Saville. In The Anatomy of Painting, the National Portrait Gallery presents a deeply personal and chronological journey through the work of one of the most influential painters of the past 30 years. From her audacious breakout piece Propped (1992) –a self-portrait that snarls at convention—to her recent abstract experiments, the show underscores Saville's ability to oscillate between flesh and feeling. Saville's confrontational large-scale paintings caught the attention of art collector Charles Saatchi, who purchased her work shortly after she graduated from Glasgow School of Art, and she became associated with the Young British Artists (YBAs), featuring in seminal exhibitions Young British Artists III (1994) and Sensation (1997). Her large-scale oil paintings are monumental, both in size and emotional depth. Bodies twist, sag, bleed, and assert themselves unapologetically. She paints not with delicacy, but with urgency–every brushstroke an excavation of vulnerability. Saville's practice is steeped in anatomical study. Her fascination with the body's structure has led her to observe surgeries and dissect medical texts, giving her portraits a topographical depth few others achieve. And yet, in later works, she turns inward, toward the anatomy of painting itself–gesture, tempo, layering. Her influences–including Tintoretto, Titian, Bacon, Freud, de Kooning, and Twombly–are evident, but Saville's voice remains utterly her own. The inclusion of charcoal drawings and intimate works on paper adds tenderness to the exhibition. A rainbow wash across a face; the suggestion of a skull beneath translucent skin–Saville invites us to inhabit these bodies as sites of transformation. Thoughtfully Curated by Sarah Howgate–NPG Senior Curator, Contemporary Collections– Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting brings together 45 works tracing the artist's prolific career, creating a landmark show that proves Saville isn't just painting bodies–she's capturing the essence of our psyche. Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (until August 17th). Sikelela Owen 'Knitting' Sikelela Owen Every summer, the Royal Academy's sprawling Summer Exhibition turns the neoclassical halls of Burlington House into a carnival of contemporary creativity–and the 257th edition is no exception. Co-ordinated this year by Royal Academician and architect Farshid Moussavi, the 2025 theme is Dialogues –a prompt that's opened the doors to artists and architects exploring intersections between humanity, nature, and society. This year, architecture is embedded throughout the show, forging visual and conceptual conversations with the art. Highlights include Alice Channer's soaring 6m sculpture of ostrich feathers and steel chain, and Antonio Tarsis' vast wall of reassembled matchboxes. Suspended works hang from the rafters–Tamara Kostianovsky's fabric carcasses among them–challenging our sense of scale and materiality. The exhibition remains proudly democratic, featuring submissions from unknown artists alongside Royal Academicians. Big names abound: Grayson Perry, Lubaina Himid, Cornelia Parker, and Yinka Shonibare all contribute, while Jenny Holzer and Marina Abramović appear for the first time as Honorary Academicians. The Royal Academy of Arts recently announced its 2025 prize winners, which include Sikelela Owen who won the £34,000 Charles Wollaston Award for her beautifully contemplative painting, 'Knitting', based on a photo of her mother. Other prizes included The AXA Art Prize (£10,000) for 'an outstanding work of figurative art', awarded to Miho Sato for her painting Windy Day 2, and the Jack Goldhill Award for Sculpture (£10,000), which was awarded to Zatorski + Zatorski for their sculpture created from 101 white rat pelts filled with 24-carat gold. New architectural commissions by 6a architects, JA Projects, and 51 Architecture–whose 6m-high wildlife roost graces the courtyard–reflect the RA's commitment to sustainability and social engagement. But the Summer Exhibition is also about joy, discovery, and tradition. Ryan Gander RA's inflatable balls, inscribed with childlike absurdities, welcome visitors with a spirit of play and curiosity. Sales from the show support the Royal Academy Schools, the UK's only free postgraduate art program. It's chaotic. It's crowded. It's brilliant. And it remains one of the most vital celebrations of art in the country. Final Thoughts Whether you're tracing ancestral stories across the desert canvas, locking eyes with a punk-infused child-ghost, peeling back layers of pigment and flesh, or wandering through a riotous gallery of ideas, London's summer exhibitions invite you to see, feel, and reflect. Each show is not just a display of art–but a conversation: between cultures, between disciplines, and between past and present.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong 2025 summer exhibitions see young artists explore identity and tradition
A number of exhibitions in Hong Kong this summer offer windows into what emerging artists make of the world they are inheriting, their coping mechanisms and ways of engaging with their adopted materials. 'Art Actions: Our Youth Our Future', a small show at the non-profit art incubator Hart Haus, pairs three Hong Kong awardees of the annual Hart Award with three diasporic international artists. Elsa Ngai Se-ngaa, who received the Hart Award for promising artists upon graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has a personal style that reflects a solid grounding in Chinese art. On show at the exhibition, her pair of 2025 works titled Transformation I and Transformation II, painted with mineral pigments, are reminiscent of the faded, ancient murals of the Mogao Caves – a Unesco World Heritage site in Dunhuang , in China's Gansu province, which has become a popular cultural reference for Hong Kong artists in recent years thanks to more opportunities to study its history and to visit. Transformation II, by Elsa Ngai, at Hart Haus. Photo: Elsa Ngai Transformation II, by Elsa Ngai, at Hart Haus. Photo: Elsa Ngai Ngai's half-formed, sensual nudes in the foreground – playful and organic forms that seem to emerge from the outlines of mountains – are apt symbols of a new artistic identity shaking free of past constraints.
The National
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Weekly UAE museum and gallery guide: A painted Lamborghini and art with raw meat
A painted Lamborghini, sausages crafted from ceramics and wooden panels painted in gold – this week's round-up of exhibitions challenge conventional aesthetics with their use of unlikely materials and forms. Lebanese artist Ihab Ahmad paints with his non-dominant hand, letting go of painterly control in favour of spontaneity. The artists presenting at Rarares Art Gallery use gold leaf, ceramics and fabrics to explore transformation and femininity. Indian artist Richi Bhatia, meanwhile, uses fish scales and raw meat to explore food systems. Here are three exhibitions to see this week. I put my brain on pause! at Firetti Contemporary Every artist reaches a point when they question their process, their practice and even themselves. Lebanese artist Ihab Ahmad rose to the challenge by disrupting his entire approach. I Put My Brain on Pause! is the result of this experiment. Firetti Contemporary describes the exhibition as 'a deeply personal body of work that embraces instinct, vulnerability and emotional surrender'. Works that use oil on linen and spray paint show smiling faces (a first in Ahmad's work) as reflections of personal connections and memories. But the centrepiece of the exhibition, a work created in collaboration with Lamborghini Dubai, is a Huracan Spyder decked with whimsical patterns and figures, similar to those on the surrounding canvases. Monday to Sunday, 11am-7pm; until August 20; Alserkal Avenue, Dubai Elysian Awakening of Powerful Spring at Rarares Art Gallery This group exhibition is exclusively dedicated to women artists, spanning generations, geographies and practices. Established names such as Emirati artist Fatma Lootah and Rome-born artist Barbara Duran explore identity and transformation through abstract forms, light and textured surfaces. Duran's Sortilegio series, for instance, presents wooden panels layered with gold and silver pigments to evoke light. Emerging artists such as Emirati Sara Alkhayyal and Egyptian Zeina Abdullah revisit regional heritage through interesting use of materials and visual language. The exhibition, at its core, is a celebration of the contributions of women in contemporary art, exploring emotional depth and imaginative vision. Monday to Sunday, 10am-10pm; until August 31; Dubai International Financial Centre Antevasin: The one who sits at the border of two worlds at Gallery Isabelle Embodied research is central to artist Richi Bhatia's practice. Living with a skin condition, for instance, prompted an exploration of fish scales as an artistic material. Ultimately, it also led her to question our food systems and consumption habits. In The Animals, The Bodies, and Coefficient of Time, she constructs temporary-scale shelters from fish scales and stainless steel structures. In Prone to Change… she constructs a bundle of stringed sausages from ceramics. In Table - Bed II, she puts together animal hide, hair, bottled water residue, pearl head pins, ashwagandha and meat-referencing ceramics. The works may evoke discomfort – and that is partly the point. As the gallery describes: 'Food is both a sustainer of life and a site of suffering.'
CBC
15-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Period costume exhibit at P.E.I.'s Government House showcases styles that were all the rage in 1864
Government House in Charlottetown, P.E.I., is once again opening its doors for tours this summer. This year, the program will include a revived tradition of hosting exhibitions, starting with an array of period costumes styled after fashions from 1864, when representatives from the Province of Canada (present-day Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island met in Charlottetown to discuss a political union.
