Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London in early November. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you.
Clementine Keith-Roach & Christopher Page: Earth Sky Body Ruins @ Ben Hunter
This exhibition unites two excellent, but very different artists. Christopher Page’s trompe l’oeil paintings are so convincing that a room looks like it has orange windows to the outside and the illusion that a painting has shadows across it. While Keith-Roach creates sculptures using found elements to create a contemporary take on historic vessels. Until 10 November.
Massimiliano Pelletti: Eredita @ Bowman Sculpture
These stunning stone sculptures are made by placing different coloured materials together and carving from them, including any imperfections and fissures that exist within the material already. The results are beautiful, often striated, works that feel both historical and contemporary. Until 10 November.
Wangari Mathenge @ Pippy Houldsworth Gallery
These monumental paintings of domestic workers in Kenya take those who are marginalised and makes them larger than life in a reversal of their often portrayed status in the media. They were painted in the artist’s studio, designed to be a comfortable space, and that studio has been recreated in the gallery. Until 4 November.
Yinka Shonibare: Free the Wind, the Spirit and the Sun @ Stephen Friedman Gallery
The new impressive Cork Street gallery space for Stephen Friedman is inaugurated by a show of one of their top artists – Yinka Shonibare’s textile works and sculpture. Plus he’s selected an impressive array of artists from Africa and the African diaspora to show alongside his pieces. Until 11 November.
Phoebe Boswell: A Tree Says @ Orleans House Gallery
From her beautiful intimate drawings that I’m familiar with, to audio tracks in the surrounding trees and a whispering array of tree trunks that you can stand aside. Add in films about conversations across generations and we get an impressive diverse exhibition that showcases the breadth of her artistic practice. Until 5 November.
