Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in South London this Summer. If you’re looking for more exhibitions check out his Central London and museum exhibitions where all remain open to visit.
Come As You Really Are: Hetain Patel @ Grants, Croydon
Hobbyists of the UK unite, in this excellent exhibition inside an old department store that became a Wetherspoons Pub. It’s a fantastic collection submitted by hobbyists from around the country that ranges from a My Little Pony collection to amateur artists. It’s a joyful celebration of people often seen as outsiders and eccentric, and another fantastic project by Artangel. Until 20th October.
Yoshida: Three Generations of Printmaking @ Dulwich Picture Gallery
When you think of traditional Japanese woodblock printing, you aren’t normally picturing the Grand Canyon, Taj Mahal or the Grand Canal in Venice. Yet they are all here in a brilliant exhibition that brings together three generations of a Japanese family that work with technique. It charts their extensive travels around the world and ends with a member of the family who is still creating and presents an immersive cherry blossom room at the end. Until 20th October.
Paul Purgas: In the Temple of the Earth @ Southwark Park Galleries
This is an exhibition that you feel in your bones. As you step into the darkened space there’s a deep throbbing soundtrack that vibrates through your body. Pillars stand over geometric patterns made from soil and while it is a temple rooted in nature, it also has a futuristic feel to it. Until 15th September.
Joe Bloom @ Kristin Hjellegjerde, Wandsworth
Ranging from a nuclear explosion to a family get-together, visions are painted in a thin and dry style that resembles stained glass, and stained glass windows form the centre of each painting. It asks us to question what we commemorate – whether that be flocks of green parakeets or a tongue-in-cheek work where a curator tells a bunch of technicians what to make of the work they’ve just installed. Until 14th September.
Firelei Baez @ South London Gallery
Light dapples through a textile covering the main gallery space, as if we’re walking under a jungle canopy. Breaking up the space with places to sit and Ciguapas figures from Dominican folklore it’s a chance to close our eyes and be immersed in the impressive installation. Plus there are additional smaller works and murals in the gallery’s fire station space. Until 8th September.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of respective artists and institutions. Yoshida photo: Graham Turner. Artangel photo: Thierry Bal.
