Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his Top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in Mayfair in May. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. If you’re looking for museum exhibitions then check out his previous top 5.
Shaqúelle Whyte: Yute, you’re gonna be fine @ Pippy Houldsworth
Whether it be a street fight or a couple relaxing at home reading, Shaqúelle Whyte’s energetic and colourful painting style captures the spirit of his settings and sitters perfectly. If you want to see brilliant figurative painting then head over to Whyte’s show, plus don’t forget to also check out Liorah Tchirpout’s display in the box space of the gallery. Until 25th May.
Jana Emburey: all things are full of Gods @ Ione & Mann
Whether it’s microscopic cells or distant stars, everyone will see something different in Jana Emburey’s subtle works that are made of tiny circles drawn meticulously by hand – they have to be seen up close to really appreciate them. Coupled with her delicate egg shell fragment sculptures it’s a fragile and gentle ode to the natural world. Until 23 May.
Hayv Kahraman: She has no name @ Pilar Corrias, Conduit Street
Most of the science we learn is very Eurocentric including the classification system for species created by Carl Linnaeus – a man venerated in Sweden, where artist Hayv Kahraman moved as a refugee from Iraq. Her surreal paintings of women, eyes and plants challenge this classification and assimilation of plants and people by the Western world.
Until 25 May.
Nick Waplington: Living Room @ Hamiltons
Smoking in a living room while a baby sleeps on the floor, a trophy-winning rabbit and paint peeling off the walls. This is an intimate snapshot of Britain’s working class in a housing estate in Nottingham in the 1980s. Until 1st June.
Art through time: contemporary reflections @ Alon Zakaim
Placing contemporary artworks alongside old Masters creates some fantastic comparisons in this exhibition curated by Virginia Damtsa. Gordon Cheung’s post-apocalyptic wasteland (above) is a contrast to an idyllic Renoir painting opposite, while Sam Shendi’s colourful semi-abstract sculpture feels in sync with a mother and child by Henry Moore nearby. Until 31 May.
All images copyright respective artist and gallery. Hayv Kahraman photo: Eva Herzog.
