Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top exhibitions to see in London this month. If you are looking for more exhibitions, check out his previous top 5.
Hurvin Anderson at Tate Britain
Landscapes, interiors, and architecture are all painted in sumptuous colours, capturing the experience of migration and of being part of a diaspora in another country. Whether it be his barbershop paintings or a tennis court on the other side of a chain link fence, signifying how we feel excluded from privileged places. It’s a masterclass in painting. Until 23rd August.
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting at Serpentine North
David Hockney had been working with iPad paintings for a while, and just when you thought you’d seen it all, he hits us with this new innovation. A year of the seasons’ experience in Normandie wraps around the entire gallery, telling us the story of a year through the natural world. It’s proof that even until the end, he was still trying to create something new and finding inspiration in nature. It’s marked as sold out, but I’m hoping they release more tickets in light of his recent passing. Until 23rd August.
Konrad Magi at Dulwich Picture Gallery
From vibrant landscapes to angular portraits, Konrad Magi was a remarkably versatile artist, and while there will be some of his works you like more than others, the key takeaway is learning about an artist that I had no idea about before visiting this show. It’s what the Dulwich Picture Gallery does so well, taking an artist most visitors have never heard of and showing us the breadth of their practice and why they are important. Keep them coming, please. Until 12th July, ticketed.
Hoi Polloi at The Brown Collection
Glenn Brown is a major collector of historical and contemporary artworks, which are displayed alongside his own works at the Brown Collection. The latest collection highlights small-scale works by art-historical figures you may not have heard of, and these subtler pieces hang well alongside Brown’s more vibrant works. Until 8th Aug 2026, free.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum
Whether it be a hornbill plucking bats out of the air, a snake trying to swallow a frog or three cheetahs sharing a baby gazelle, this annual exhibition is filled with life, death and drama. There are also heartbreaking moments, such as an elephant walking through a landfill site, and atmospheric shots, such as a ghostly hyena. It’s an annual treat, and the stories of how each shot was taken are equally impressive. Until 12th July, ticketed.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of the respective artists and institutions. Hurvin Anderson photo: Tate Photography (Larina Annora Fernandes). Serpentine image: © David Hockney. Photo: George Darrell. Konrad Magi photo: Graham Turner. Hoi Polloi image: copyright The Brown Collection. Wildlife Photographer of the Year: © Wim van den Heever.
