Tabish Khan the @LondonArtCritic picks his top 5 Art Exhibitions to see in London in November. Each one comes with a concise review to help you decide whether it’s for you. If you’re looking for more shows, check out last week’s top 5 where three remain open to visit.
Angela Glacjar: Vital Materiality @ Pontone Gallery
Huge sheets of paper have been torn so we can peer through them and lined up so we can see the tears but never all the way through as if we’re looking into a cave of the artist’s making. Stacked horizontally and vertically she creates abstract landscapes out of paper that are spectacular. Until 12 November.
James Dearlove: Tales of the City, Tales of the Sea @ BWG gallery
These autobiographical paintings chart James Dearlove’s journey as both a painter and a queer man moving from London to the countryside. There’s a tenderness in the naked bodies, but also a darkness that manifests in a style that reminds me of Francis Bacon. In one case the painting explodes forth with the furniture on canvas appearing the space with chairs hanging from the ceiling and a mattress in the gallery. Until 15 November.
Future Focus: New Terrain @ Parallel London, Devonshire Square
This exhibition unites artists pushing the boundaries of what photography can be including Thomas Jenkins’ wave of abstract colours that cascades from the wall to Sabrina Tirvengadum (pictured) who takes archival footage of her own family history and puts it through an AI programme to dig into her Mauritian and English roots and heritage. Until 13 November.
Joy Labinjo: Beloved, Take What You Need @ Tiwani Contemporary
Children playing to families connecting across generations, Joy Labinjo’s paintings are a joyful show to inaugurate Tiwani Contemporary’s new gallery space on Cork Street. Her style manages to be angular and yet still conveys a tenderness that makes these large scale paintings stand out. Until 11 November.
Treasures of Gold and Silver Wire @ Guildhall Art Gallery
Making clothing and artwork from gold and silver wire is a delicate art and this exhibition celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers brings together royal garments to altar cloths, and to show it’s still an ongoing pursuit works from contemporary artists working with these techniques to produce everything from head-dresses to beetles. Extended until 31 December.
All images copyright respective artist and gallery.
