Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 exhibitions to see in London, all within Mayfair. If you are looking for more exhibitions, check out his previous top 5.
Nengi Omuku: We Were Like Those Who Dreamed at Pippy Houldsworth
Taking figures from contemporary and archival images of Lagos, Nengi Omuku places them alongside greenery to comment on the loss of green spaces as the city urbanises, a narrative that’s particularly relevant as Lagos grows rapidly. By painting on Samyan, a hand-spun cloth rooted in Yoruba history, she references traditional crafts at risk of being lost as countries develop. The curation of hanging the pieces within the space, allowing us to walk among them and see the backs, is beautifully done. Until 30th May.
Jack Milroy Bibliophilia at Shapero Modern
Planes, birds and plants all leap from the page in works where Jack Milroy carefully excises images from books so they appear to be breaking free from their source material. Sometimes the books are intact; other times, images emerge from crumpled pages; and other times, shredded paper spills out of their former homes. They are technically brilliant, playful and always a pleasure to see. Until 31st May.
Tom Waring: Death and Taxes at Bernheim
Different schools of art and architecture meet in these meticulous paintings, which feature ribbed vaults, arches and gargoyles but don’t denote any known structures. Choosing to paint each piece with a limited colour palette gives them a 3D effect. He’s created his own world, and it’s one we want to get lost in. Until 22nd May.
Nicola Hicks: ‘Love’ at Messums London
This exhibition of her latest works includes her signature raw plaster sculptures; the centrepiece is a dog on a packing crate, its puppies scrambling atop it. There’s also plenty of her works on paper, with bears making their reappearance and a new set of colourful snakes and crabs that have a touch of Warhol about them. I’ve always been a fan of her plaster animals, and it’s a chance to see her wider practice as well. Until 23rd May.
Brook Andrew: Symbolic Nature at Ames Yavuz
Drawing from his Indigenous Australian heritage, Brook Andrews incorporates symbolic items such as Echidna quills and a wedge-tailed eagle feather into his work, which focuses on rituals and their relationship to the local population and the land. It includes books on the Western view of the world that are covered and must be uncovered to be seen, to reverse the way the Western gaze has dominated history. Until 30th May.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of the respective artist and gallery.
