
Barbican Explores a Century of Pan-African Art and Culture in Major Summer Exhibition
10 June 2026 • Mark Westall
The Barbican opens one of its most ambitious exhibitions of the year tomorrow with Project a Black Planet: The Art… Read More
Discover the captivating artistry of Marlene Dumas, born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of Cape Town University with a BA in Visual Arts, Dumas continued her studies in Haarlem, Netherlands, shaping her distinctive artistic vision.
Since 1976, Marlene Dumas has called Amsterdam home, and from 1978 onward, her work has garnered international acclaim, establishing her as one of Holland’s most revered artists. Notably, in 1995, she represented Holland at the prestigious Venice Biennale, and in 1996, the Tate Gallery showcased a curated selection of her compelling works on paper.
While Dumas has explored various mediums in the past, including paintings, collages, drawings, prints, and installations, her current focus lies primarily on oil on canvas and ink on paper. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as newspaper cuttings, personal memorabilia, Flemish paintings, and Polaroid photographs, Dumas creates a powerful narrative through her art.
Her works, often categorized as ‘portraits,’ transcend traditional representations by capturing emotions and states of mind rather than specific individuals. Themes central to Dumas’ artistry include explorations of race and sexuality, guilt and innocence, as well as the interplay between violence and tenderness.
Immerse yourself in the evocative world of Marlene Dumas, where each brushstroke and ink line tells a profound story. As a highly regarded artist, her ability to convey complex emotions through her unique visual language has left an enduring impact on the global art scene. Explore the depth of Dumas’ work and the thematic richness that defines her artistic journey.

10 June 2026 • Mark Westall
The Barbican opens one of its most ambitious exhibitions of the year tomorrow with Project a Black Planet: The Art… Read More

13 March 2026 • Mark Westall
A major international exhibition examining the influence of Pan-Africanism on artistic and cultural production.

27 January 2026 • Yichun Huang
As I entered the space, the lighting was dim. The works seemed to whisper. I couldn’t clearly see everyone’s faces; the darkness covered their eyes, yet amplified another sense.

2 May 2025 • Mark Westall
The exhibition features eight generation-defining artists who played a central role in the resurgence and expansion of figurative painting during the 1990s

3 January 2024 • Mark Westall
In the spring of 2024, a set of iconic works from the Pinault Collection will be displayed throughout the Bourse de Commerce.

30 March 2023 • Mark Westall
Opening in June 2023, Capturing the Moment will explore the dynamic relationship between contemporary painting and photography.

1 March 2023 • Paul Carey-Kent
Frith Street Gallery was founded in 1989 by Jane Hamlyn – daughter of the famous publisher Paul Hamlyn – originally in a Georgian townhouse at 60 Frith Street, just off Soho Square.

3 May 2018 • Mark Westall
Internationally acclaimed artists Francis Alÿs, Jeremy Deller, Robert Gober, Antony Gormley, Roni Horn, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Taryn Simon, Wolfgang Tillmans and Rachel Whiteread are among the 37 artists who have given works to create a major new fund ARTISTS FOR ARTANGEL.

27 March 2018 • Staff
This week – besides confronting a Wednesday snowstorm which made Central Park delightful – I ventured to the Upper East Side for the opening of a tribute show at Tilton Gallery and then returned to Chelsea for some Bill Viola, Robert Ryman and Liu Shiuyan.

28 May 2015 • Paul Carey-Kent
The thing about paintings is to see them, right? It’s a bit odd, then, to suggest that the book of Marlene Dumas at the Tate is better than the show, but…

13 April 2015 • Tabish Khan
A beetle collection, atmospheric video, pained portraits, gunshots and glow in the dark painting

14 November 2013 • Mark Westall
Which contemporary artworks best capture the zeitgeist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries?

10 July 2013 • VC Maurer
GalleristNY top art critics reveal top 11 things to do in the big apple before the art world passes you by!

24 November 2011 • Rachel Bennett
Following on from the success of last year’s ‘The House of the Nobleman’ art exhibition, curator Victoria Golembiovskaya presents ‘The Return’ viewing at Boswall House.

10 October 2011 • Mark Westall
Peter Doig, Damien Hirst, Lucien Freud, Whitney McVeigh, Claude Monet, Takashi Murakami, and lots more ……..
12 October 2009 • Mark Westall
FREE ART FAIR at the Barbican. The show runs from Monday 12th October to Sunday 18th October. The Free Art… Read More