We don’t often visit art galleries.
They always tell us off for taking pictures.
Nevertheless, London is awash with art – and so we’ve put together a running list of all the major (and quite a few independent) art galleries in London, complete with opening hours and the run-down on their latest exhibitions. Some galleries still require you to book a ticket in advance – even if you’re just going for a nose around the free collections – so we’ve added in all the links you’ll need.
But enough of all that – here are London’s best art galleries, and all the exhibitions you can visit right now:
JUMP TO: CENTRAL | NORTH | SOUTH | EAST | WEST
CENTRAL LONDON ART GALLERIES
Set in the concrete subterranean labyrinth of an iconic Brutalist building, 180 Studios is building a name for itself as the home for innovative, large-scale, tech-infused audio-visual art installations.
WHAT’S ON
Richard Mosse (until 4th December) – an immersive video installation detailing environmental crimes in the Amazon, filmed over three years.
Universal Everything (until 4th December) – 14 trippy installations from the studio that use AI to create self-generating visuals that respond to viewers and time itself.
Address: 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, WC2R 1EA | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm | Entry: Exhibitions ticketed individually, from £10-25
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Back open after the biggest refurbishment in its history, the Courtauld has an incredible collection of art particularly known for its trove of Impressionist paintings including Manet’s A Bar at the Folies Bergère and Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. The permanent collection could keep you occupied for hours, but the gallery often plays host to visiting exhibitions, too.
WHAT’S ON
Fuseli and the Modern Woman: Fashion, Fantasy, Fetishism (until 8th January 2023) – 50 200-year-old private drawings of naked women by Swiss artist Henry Fusili, who, besides being really horny, presents a problematic look at sexuality, gender and identity.
Address: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN | Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10am-6pm | Entry: £9-13 (students & concessions free) / Exhibitions from £16
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A Brutalist and, quite frankly, brutal concrete metropolis is home to the Hayward Gallery; an exhibition space designed to receive touring work and host major modern collections. Sat within the cultural playground that is the Southbank Centre, it normally holds three to four temporary exhibitions a year and due to the sheer size of the space, they’re often huge installations that allow for lots of audience interaction. Retrospectives are also popular with German photographer Andreas Gursky and our very own Bridget Riley showing off their illustrious careers here.
WHAT’S ON
Strange Clay (until 8th January 2023) – A show that’ll shatter any preconceptions you have about ceramics, pulling together 23 ceramicists who take the medium to creative extremes and permeate it with new character.
Address: Southbank Centre, 337-338 Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | Opening Hours: Wed 11am-9pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-7pm, Sundays 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £12
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ICA | St James
The errant, wayward child of the RA, the ICA was established as a space for artists and scientists to discuss ideas freely and without limitation. An avid promoter of the avant-garde, it’s been an epicentre of experimental work ever since – or, as director Stefan Klamar simply describes it, a place that “contextualises contemporary culture within the socio-political conditions of the time’’. With galleries, a theatre, and two cinemas you’re bound to find something, in some medium, that suits your fancy.
WHAT’S ON
Christopher Kulendran Thomas: Another World (until 22nd January 2023) – Using the Sri Lankan civil war as a starting point, Christopher Kulendran Thomas’ solo show opens eyes on how AI and technology can be manipulated into blurring the lines between what’s reality and what’s fiction.
Check out screenings, talks and more HERE
Address: The Mall, St James’s, SW1Y 5AH | Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 12pm-9pm | Entry: Free on Tuesday, £5 Wed-Sun
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Pride of place in London’s art scene, presiding over the four lions of Trafalgar Square, is the National Gallery. Amongst the most visited art museums in the world, the National Gallery has a premier league roll call of great works amongst the 2,300 paintings in its possession. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire and Da Vinci’s The Virgin of the Rocks all adorn its walls. Most major Western artists are represented in some way or another here, making it an absolute mecca for Art History bingo.
WHAT’S ON
Winslow Homer: Force of Nature (until 8th January 2023) – the first major UK show of this 19th century artist, so well-loved across the pond for his dramatic landscapes and emotive paintings of the Civil War era.
Lucian Freud: New Perspectives (until 22nd January 2023) – No one can capture people with a paintbrush quite like Lucian Freud, especially when in the nude, and this exhibition (the artist’s first major one in ten years) covers his lifetime of work through more than 60 paintings.
Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm (9pm Fridays) | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £10
NOTE: The National Portrait Gallery (just behind the National Gallery) is now closed for refurbishment until 2023.
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Christian Thompson
After snapping up a tea bar in Covent Garden, founder and director Sue Davies quickly developed the space into the UK’s first dedicated space for photography and photographers. The gallery’s now moved into an old textiles factory, but continues to act as a centre of excellence, and research, into the 20th century’s iconic medium, with plenty of wonderful camera work to admire over its six floors. Check out the Soho Photography Quarter outside, an old alleyway that’s been revamped as a kind of al fresco gallery space.
WHAT’S ON
Chris Killip, retrospective (until 19th of February 2023) – Inequality is laid bare in this showcase for one of the UK’s most respected photographers, who gained critical acclaim for charting the lives of the working-class during the deindustrialisation of Northern towns in the 70s and 80s.
An Alternative History of Photography: Works from the Solander Collection (Until Sunday 19th Feb 2023) – A fresh perspective on the traditions and timelines of photography with 150 works from the Solander Collection, including firsts from major artists and rare finds from those less well-known.
Address: 16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW | Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-6pm | Entry: £5
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Once upon a time an exclusively royal affair but these days awash with the unwashed, the Queen’s Gallery is the dictionary definition of a fine art gallery – “a place that houses work created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes”. The collection is, unsurprisingly, fit for a king (or queen) and contains a revolving exhibit of works owned by the royals to ensure their protection for, and presumably from, the Great British public.
WHAT’S ON
Japan: Courts and Culture (until 26th February 2023) – When nations exchange gifts for diplomatic reasons, they don’t just send over any old rubbish. So at this exhibition you’ll see the jaw-droppingly beautiful items that Japan has gifted to the British monarchy over a period of 350 years, from 17th century Samurai armour to silk screens for Edward VIIth.
Address: Buckingham Palace, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1A 1AA | Opening Hours: Thurs-Mon, 10am-5.30pm | Entry: £17
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Perhaps in a moment of his famed “madness”, King George III dipped into his own pocket to establish the RA in order to raise the professional status of artists and foster a national school of art. Off his rocker or not, it proved a big success (alumni include Turner, Kauffman, Constable et al.), and the RA lives on to this day as a privately funded institution training, and promoting, artists and art appreciation. The gallery has moved with the ebbs and flows of artistic taste, and its annual open-call summer exhibition showcases the best new art on the scene.
WHAT’S ON
William Kentridge (until 11th December) – The South African artist’s vast output over the last 40 years has spanned all kinds of artistic practice, from tapestry and etching to film-making and even opera, and it’s those last two that make up the showstopper main room of this powerful exhibition focussing on the legacy of apartheid.
Making Modernism (until 12th February 2023) – A groundbreaking exhibition highlighting the work of female German artists in the early 20th century, with themes such as motherhood and childhood at the forefront.
Address: Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, W1J 0BD | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun, 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from ~£15
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Kevin Meredith
Originally the Tudor crib to end all cribs, this imposing residence on the river Thames became a Stuart royal palace, a brief home of the Royal Academy, and now holds the offices of over a hundred creative organisations and artists, alongside numerous exhibition spaces for a range of different media. The Duke of Somerset, despite being executed before it was completed, would no doubt lose his head over how brilliant it’s become.
WHAT’S ON
Amba Sayal-Bennett: Geometries of Difference (until 5th Feb 2023) – a series of sculptural works created in response to the original architect’s plans of the building.
The Horror Show! (until 19th February 2023) – A frightening exhibition, not for any monsters hiding around the corner, but for the rather dark, disturbing and ultimately highly engaging take on the last 50 years of modern British history.
Address: Strand, WC2R 1LA | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm | Entry: Free/£15+ for exhibitions
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The epicurean, slightly dotty uncle of the Tate Modern is concerned with one thing only – old Blighty (and the artists who come from within it). A national treasure full of national treasures, expect to see all the big names from 1500 to the present day –Turner, Constable, Bacon, Blake, and Emin – and there’s even a series of exhibitions titled Art Now that shines a light on our stars of tomorrow.
WHAT’S ON
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly In League With The Night (until 26th of February 2023) – Marvelled for creating compelling made-up characters that could well be real people, this is the former Turner Prize short-listed British figurative painter’s biggest survey yet, displaying 70 of her portrait works dating back to 2003.
Hew Locke: The Procession (until 22nd January 2023) – Visual artist Hew Locke says he aims to create artwork that’s “colourful and attractive, but strangely, scarily surreal” – and he’s certainly achieved that in this detailed and mysterious sculptural parade winding through the Tate’s ground floor halls.
Bill Brandt: Inside the Mirror (until 5th January 2023) – A free exhibition showcasing the beautifully surreal and emotive monochrome photography of the 20th century emigré artist who captured all walks of British life across vastly different decades.
Address: Millbank, SW1P 4RG | Opening Hours: Daily, 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £16
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Some people think modern art is just a load of Pollocks. And they’d be right. But he’s not the only artist you’ll find in this behemoth of modern and contemporary works. Tate Modern holds the British collection of pieces from 1900 to the present day, and is one of the largest modern art museums in the world. Housed within the old Bankside power station, it has become an iconic landmark on the Thames’ riverscape. Pieces from Picasso, Dali and Matisse lead the permanent line-up, while the old turbine hall dwarfs its visitors and holds specially commissioned, larger-than-life exhibits.
WHAT’S ON
Cézanne (until 12th March 2023) – Wait! we hear you cry. Isn’t Cézanne like, sooo 19th century? Well, yes, but this major show (displaying many pieces that have never been in the UK before) charts how the French painter broke down artistic conventions of the time and ushered in a new era, ultimately paving the way for many great artists of the 20th century.
Maria Bartuszová (until 16th April 2023) – Natural-looking abstract sculpture by the innovative Slovak artist, who revolutionised sculpture with her approach of hand-made plaster casting.
Address: Bankside, SE1 9TG | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £13
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A collecting hobby that got a little out of hand is now a major collection of 18th and 19th century works collected by subsequent Marquesses of Hertford, and bequeathed to the public. Housed within an imposing regency townhouse, the Wallace is famed for its triumphant collection of French decorative arts; the grandest one outside of Gaul. It’s a fancy family’s fancy private collection, so expect gilded frames, suits of armour, and offensive levels of wealth to dominate your surroundings on your sojourn through the wings.
WHAT’S ON
The Lost King: Imagining Richard III (until 8th January) – this free display is a tie-in with the new film of the same name, and controversially seeks to show a more sympathetic side to the possibly murderous monarch.
Address: Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN | Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 10am-5pm | Entry: Free / £14 for exhibitions
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NORTH LONDON ART GALLERIES
What began as a local Arts scheme providing the Hampstead community with classes in everything from painting to pottery, has grown, over the past 50 years, into an internationally acclaimed centre for the arts. Housed on the leafier side of Finchley this enclave of ever rotating, multi disciplinary artistry favours edgy, young contemporary artists and has a bookshop, cafe, and garden to boot.
WHAT’S ON
Forrest Bess: Out of the Blue (until 15th January 2023) – a retrospective of the Texan painter who worked as a bait fisherman while producing colourful, symbolic paintings.
Dani and Sheilah ReStack: Cuts in the Day (until 15th January 2023) – a site-specific installation created in response to the works of Forrest Bess.
Address: Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-6pm, late opening Thursday until 9pm | Entry: Free
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The frontage exudes the class and posture of Georgian England, but step inside and you’ll tumble down into the kaleidoscopic world of Italian Futurist Art. Futurism was one of Italy’s most significant contributions to the 20th century and this museum is Britain’s only one dedicated to the movement. Expect sculptures, paintings, landscapes, and the downright bizarre – all from a young nation looking to find la dolce vita.
WHAT’S ON
Luigi Pericle: A Rediscovery (until 18th December) – When not busy being a writer and a scholar of astrology, theosophy and alchemy, Pericle found time to be one of the most influential abstract painters of the post-war period.
Address: 39A Canonbury Square, N1 2AN | Opening Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm | Entry: £7.50/£5.50 (Concession)
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Representing 40 established and emerging artists, Victoria Miro is one of the largest commercial art galleries in London – and a great place to wile away the afternoon pretending you can afford to buy even one item. The Wharf Road gallery is a converted furniture factory and now houses Grayson Perry’s 15m Walthamstow Tapestry amongst numerous other works including the garden itself, landscaped specifically for the gallery.
WHAT’S ON
Hernan Bas: The Conceptualists (until 14th January 2023): A new collection of paintings from the Miami-based artist depicting (and poking fun at) the kind of intellectuals who partake in strange, eccentric habits like ‘chewing gum every waking hour of the day’.
Hedda Sterne: Metamorphoses (until 10th December 2022) – This posthumous exhibition gives you the chance to admire acrylic canvas paintings from one of the most prominent figures in the Abstract Expressionist movement, Hedda Sterne.
Address: 16 Wharf Road, N1 7RW | Opening Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm | Entry: Free
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The original hipster, Morris eschewed Victorian trends in favour of more “retro” Medieval vibes – before going on to propagate the socialist movement in Britain and then sow the seeds of fantasy literature by translating Icelandic epic poetry. His life was as intricate and interconnected as his infamous wallpaper designs, and this delightful museum celebrates every facet of his fascinating existence.
WHAT’S ON
The Legend of King Arthur: A Pre-Raphaelite Love Story (until 22nd January 2023) – Everyone’s favourite mediaeval tale depicted through a series of ornate oil paintings and etchings worked on by Pre-Raphaelite artists.
Joy and Solace: Frank Brangwyn and Music (until 2nd April 2023) – The artist and craftsman who helped to found the gallery gets his own semi-permanent display here, showing recently restored paintings and sketches on the theme of music.
Address: Lloyd Park, Forest Road, E17 4PP | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm | Entry: Free, book to visit here
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Housed in a Victorian Methodist chapel-turned drama school-turned exhibition space, the Zabludowicz Collection is one of North London’s most varied contemporary art galleries. Driven by philanthropic endeavours, their aim is to bring emerging artists to a wide audience, and frequently commission works by rising talent around the globe. They’re also the first London gallery with a dedicated room for 360° VR artwork.
WHAT’S ON
LuYang NetiNeti (until 12th February 2023) – Buddhism, neuroscience and anime clash in the strange but comic world of this Shanghai-born artist.
Invites: Rebecca Parkin (until 18th December 2022) – Themes of fantasy and sexuality are explored through pop-culture and female horror tropes in this installation from the London-based painter.
Address: 176 Prince of Wales Road, NW5 3PT | Opening Hours: Thurs-Sun 12-6pm | Entry: Free
SOUTH LONDON ART GALLERIES
Do the names Rembrandt and Rubens get your blood racing? Does stroking your chin over classic art make you feel peckish? Then you’re probably gonna like what’s on offer at England’s oldest public gallery. Expect Dutch paintings of cows on bridges, splendid nudity in reenactments of Greco Roman mythology, and a handful of Italian masters. There’s also a variety of more modern-ish temporary exhibitions, if you’ve seen enough classical buttocks for one day. As for the food part: check out the alfresco cafe doing all-day brunch.
WHAT’S ON
M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds (until 12th March 2023) – Widely regarded as Lithuania’s greatest artist, Čiurlionis painted an insane number of ethereal images in his short career at the turn of the century, and many of them are on show here in the UK for the first time.
Address: Gallery Road, SE21 7AD | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm | Entry: £15
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A Bermondsey Street treasure specialising in contemporary fashion design, founded by the legendary Dame Zandra Rhodes. Rather than housing a permanent collection, they stage exhibitions on particular designers, printmakers, or fashion periods and trends, gathering items from around the globe.
WHAT’S ON
Kaffe Fassett: The Power of Pattern (until 12th March 2023) – Explore the dazzling textiles of the legendary contemporary designer with some of his own artworks as well as quilted pieces from other makers.
Address: 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF | Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-6pm | Entry: £12.65
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Formaldehyde-bathed bovines and spin-painted pictures, sharks sliced in half, and a golden-hooved calf, mountains of artwork all tied up with string, these are a few of Damien Hirst’s favourite things. As one of the richest living artists and most enthusiastic collectors, Hirst is no stranger to the contemporary scene and his personal collection, on show at the Newport Street Gallery, contains over 3,000 works from Bacon, Banksy, Emin and even Picasso.
WHAT’S ON
Currently closed, upcoming exhibitions to be announced
Address: Newport Street, SE11 6AJ | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-6pm | Entry: Free
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NOW Gallery is, unsurprisingly, all about cutting-edge, contemporary art; but it’s also art that’s accessible and unpretentious, often taking the form of large-scale, walk-through installations. Commissioned artists are often up-and-coming and from a blend of creative backgrounds – art, fashion and design – with the kinds of ideas that not only spark conversation but plenty of social media opps too.
WHAT’S ON
Ribbons by Matty Bovan (until 5th March 2023) – Move over grandmas. New York designer Matty Bovan has knitted a giant, multi-coloured sweater installation out of thousands of ribbons, which, alongside three films and a wall of large-scale painted canvases, encourages you to think about the fashion and textile industry, as well as how many days (or weeks?) it took for him to actually create this…
Address: The Gateway Pavilions, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0SQ | Opening Hours: Tues-Fri, 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm | Entry: Free
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Camberwell’s contemporary art gallery has always been at the forefront of the South London art scene. Originally the gallery of a local working men’s college, it has always sought to celebrate current artists. That trend continued and, in 1995, it was the first venue to showcase Emin’s infamous “tent”. Now spread across two listed buildings, the SLG houses a number of permanent exhibits with revolving temporary installations.
WHAT’S ON
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2022 (until 12th March 2023) – It’s a discerning collection of works by specifically 47 of the UK’s future art stars, picked from art schools and programmes by James Richards, Veronica Ryan and Zadie Xa.
See talks, workshops and screenings HERE.
Address: 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-6pm (9pm Weds/last Fri of the month) | Entry: Free
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Europe’s biggest commercial gallery has come under its fair share of criticism. Owned and run by an old Etonian and known for displaying works in a cold and clinical manner, it’s easy to see why. But representing the likes of Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, you can guarantee that the stars of British contemporary art will shine bright on any visit. The whitewashed walls, and strip lighting, can make it feel like a bit like a trip to the hospital, but this institution of the ever-fractious art scene is well worth a wander.
WHAT’S ON
Harland Miller: Imminent End, Rescheduled Eternally (until 22nd January 2023) – ‘Whether using a single word or a phrase, a geometric or condensed typeface, these works attest to Miller’s deep-rooted engagement with the narrative, aural and typographical possibilities of language’. If you understand any of that, then you’ll probably enjoy this…
Address: WCB: 144-152 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ | WCMY: 25-26 Mason’s Yard, SW1Y 6BU | Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-6pm/MY closed | Entry: Free
EAST / THE CITY GALLERIES
One of the city’s Brutalist icons, the Barbican isn’t just home to theatre, cinemas, concert halls (and an unexpected urban jungle). It also boasts a two-storey gallery space that has hosted exhibitions on everything from AI to Japanese architecture, and a retrospective of the pioneering street artist Basquiat.
WHAT’S ON
Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics (until 8th January 2023) – a retrospective of one of the most prolific, provocative and exciting performance artists of the 20th century, featuring rare archive footage and over 200 exhibits.
Soheila Sokhanvari: Rebel Rebel (until 26th February 2023) – Named after one of David Bowie’s all-time great songs, this inspirational and profoundly powerful exhibition tells the previously untold stories of the women who dared to defy cultural conforms in the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Address: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS | Opening Hours: Sun-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs-Sat 10am-8pm | Entry: Free/Exhibitions from £15
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Guildhall Art Gallery | The City
Established in 1886 as ‘a collection of art treasures worthy of the capital city’, the Guildhall Gallery is exactly that – a sumptuous assembly of art that you’d expect the captains of industry from centuries past to have amassed. Big sexy frames, portraits of gentlemen with enormous wigs, and an impressive number of Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces are the mainstay of their throng which seeks to show off in telling the story of London town.
WHAT’S ON
Inspired! (until 23rd December) – fresh from a refurb, the gallery’s back with a sprawling exhibition showcasing artwork inspired by other media – literature, theatre and music. It’ll reveal all the easter eggs hidden in paintings that a Victorian audience would have clocked, but that might go unnoticed today…
This is England (until 19th February 2023) – In an artsy way of wishing the team good luck before Qatar, visual artist Matt Small has imagined, in portrait form, all 27 members of the England football squad that made the Euros final last year, so you can come face-to-face with Harry Kane and co.
Address: Guildhall Yard, EC2V 5AE | Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am-4pm | Entry: Free/ exhibitions from £8
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Founded in 1901, this gallery set out to give great art to the masses. Since then it’s had some pretty impressive mates round for tea: Picasso’s Guernica popped by; Pollock, Hockney, and Lucian Freud all logged stays. It hasn’t lost any of its mojo from following expansion in 2009 where it doubled in size; Theaster Gates and Mark Dion are just a few of the famous to have dropped by in recent years. Come hungry – Townsend is well-worth a post-exhibition trip.
WHAT’S ON
Zadie Xa (until 30th April 2023) – The Korean-Canadian artist stages her first major solo show in the UK, a collection of sculpture housed within a fabric representation of the traditional Korean hanok (house).
PORTAL DE PLATA, Selected by Donna Huanca (until 1st January 2023) – a multisensory exhibition curated by Donna Huanca, combining Bolivian language lessons, smoky smells, and artwork by the likes of Louise Bourgeois and Else Hagen.
Out of the Margins (until 15th January 2023) – a display documenting the history of live performance art in cultural institutions.
Tracing Absence (until 2nd January 2023) – two galleries of work chosen by ten student curators on the theme of ‘absence’.
Moving Bodies, Moving Images (until 8th January 2023) – The worlds of art and dance collide (and then pick themselves up and do a little waltz…) in this series of short films that explore the relationship between movement, choreography and interpretive dance.
Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX | Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-6pm, 9pm Thursdays | Entry: Free/ Exhibitions from £9.50
WEST LONDON ART GALLERIES
Nominated for European Museum of the Year in 2018, the Design Museum is, as you’d expect, very well put together. In the bustling cultural quarter of Kensington, its three floors and two basements serve up permanent exhibitions, learning centres, glass-walled design studios and temporary gallery spaces. The permanent gallery is the only one in the UK to be dedicated completely to contemporary design.
WHAT’S ON
Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today (until 19th February 2023) – What connects Björk, Dior and Salvador Dalí? Find out in this… surreal look at how surrealism and design have played off one another over the course of the last century.
Weird Sensation Feels Good: The World of ASMR (until 10th April 2023) – if you’re the kind of person who can’t stand the noise of other people eating, this highly interactive exhibition won’t be for you.
Yinka Ilori: Parables for Happiness (until 25th June 2023) – a display exploring the wonderfully colourful, geometric world of artist-designer Yinka Ilori.
Address: 224-238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG | Opening Hours: Sun-Thurs 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm | Entry: Free/~£16 temporary exhibitions
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Street art off the street is the focus of this gritty and urban gallery. Derived from the Italian to scratch, this ancient form of expression has taken on a new lease of life in our modern times. This collection gives you a vast overview of the city’s strongest pieces – without ever making you step outside. Unless, of course, you want to try your hand at one of their graffiti workshops…
WHAT’S ON: Main collection only.
Address: 284 Portobello Road, W10 5TE | Opening Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-6pm | Entry: Free
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©Leighton-House/RBKC. Image courtesy of Will Pryce
When a noted painter and lord of the realm commissions you to design his house, you’d better bring your A-game. Well, George Aitchison did just that and his creation is now a Grade II listed building, widely revered for its Orientalist and aesthetic interiors – and the home of the Leighton House Museum. The permanent gallery, predictably, contains numerous works from Lord Leighton himself; so expect to cast your eye over lavish oil panoramas of Greek myths, lords and ladies, and ecclesiastical scenes.
WHAT’S ON
Artists and Neighbours: The Holland Park Circle (until 19th March 2023) – The neighbours that used to live around Leighton House were coincidentally a group of great artists themselves, known collectively as the Holland Park Circle, and this exhibition houses much of their finest work. Plus, it’s your first chance to see the revamped house after an £8m upgrade.
Address: 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ | Opening Hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5:30pm | Entry: £11
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A controversial centre headed by a controversial curator, the Saatchi Gallery has always sought to challenge. Its guiding principle has always been to operate as the quirkier B-side to places like the Tate Modern – so expect to find new and unknown works from artists all hoping to be the Hockney of tomorrow.
WHAT’S ON
The New Black Vanguard (until 22nd January 2023) – A stunning celebration of the work of 15 pioneering Black portrait photographers at the cutting edge of their field.
Address: Duke of York’s HQ, Kings Road, SW3 4RY | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-6pm | Entry: Free/Exhibitions from £24.50
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A gallery double-act tucked away in Kensington Gardens mainly dabbling in the modern, avant-garde side of art. Come here for the daring contemporary stuff and to marvel at the temporary outdoor pavilion, designed by a different world-renowned artist each summer.
WHAT’S ON
Kamala Ibrahim Ishag: States of Oneness (until 29th January 2023) – A mesmerising retrospective of trailblazing Sudanese artist Kamala Ibrahim Ishag, that, behind the all lurid patterns, spiritual themes and twisted bodies, is also a reminder of the women in Sudan who face a daily struggle for freedom.
Barbara Chase-Riboud: Infinite Folds (until 29th January 2023) – Good if you’re into heavy metal – the art kind – as this covers the sculptor’s (she was also a pretty respected writer and poet) long and distinguished seven-decade career with some of her more noteworthy sculptures and installations.
Address: Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA | Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-6pm | Entry: Free
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V&A | South Kensington
Like the Queen whose name it bears, the Victoria & Albert is imposing, vast, and spans decades. With 145 galleries and over 5,000 years of art in its collection, it really is an encyclopaedia of design. Since its inception in 1852, the museum has always adopted a policy of “wide art”; attempting to inspire, dazzle, and entertain with its eclectic collection. Today is no different and you can travel the world and back without ever leaving the building (except to look at the courtyard).
WHAT’S ON
Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature (until 8th January 2023) – Beatrix Potter was a skilled mycologist, a scientific illustrator, an ardent conservationist, and the reason that there’s a cocky CGI bunny voiced by James Corden on the side of every London bus. And you’ll find some of her wonderful work on display at the V&A’s retrospective…
Africa Fashion (until 16th April 2023) – A whistle-stop overview of Africa’s varied and wide-reaching influence on fashions around the world, with exhibits ranging from Moroccan avant-garde haute couture to century-old textiles and revived traditional dress.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave (until 25th June 2023) – This blockbuster exhibition attempts to condense some of the vast cultural output of South Korea from the last seven decades into one show, and explore why K-Pop, K-Beauty and K-dystopian TV series have such global appeal.
Address: Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL | Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5.45pm (10pm Fridays) | Entry: Free / Exhibitions from £12
Looking for more inspiration? Take a peek at our 101 London Date Ideas
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Carpe Diem!