RECOMMENDED ART EXHIBITIONS TO SEE IN MAY
- sixteen online
- Apr 15
- 5 min read
EXHIBITIONS | RECOMMENDED
FIRLE, LONDON, HASTINGS
We're down South this month with our recommendations, heading to the big city, the countryside and the coast. These four exhibitions have no particular commonality except for promising exceptional art and inspiration.
Always worth noting, these recommendations are either reasonably priced, or even better (especially in London) completely free, and honestly, is there anything better than free, excellent art?
8 MARCH -- 2 NOVEMBER
INVENTING POST-IMPRESSIONISM - CHARLESTON IN FIRLE, FIRLE
If you are a fan of the impressionists and post-impressionists, and it does seem at the moment like who isn't? Then Inventing Post-Impressionism from the Charleston in Firle in partnership with the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, is one to get to before the Autumn.
The Charleston is showcasing one of the most important collections of impressionist and post-impressionist works in the UK, revisiting the groundbreaking Grafton Galleries exhibitions of the early 1910s in which curator and critic Roger Fry introduced post-impressionism to Britain.
There is a lot to love here, with iconic paintings and works on paper from Van Gogh, Bonnard, Cézanne, and plenty more from both the Charleston's permanent collection and loans from the Barber. All in the beautiful setting of the Charleston's site at Firle, with the modernist home of Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant to explore alongside the gallery spaces.
This exhibition aims to look at Bloomsbury’s role in shaping British modernism, offering a rare opportunity to explore the lasting impact of post-impressionism on British art.
Find out more or book tickets here:
20 MARCH -- 27 JULY
ARPITA SINGH: REMEMBERING - SERPENTINE NORTH GALLERY, LONDON
Remembering is the first solo institutional exhibition of Arpita Singh outside India. Showcasing works made throughout her six-decade career, which centre on her emotional and psychological state interwoven with folk art, experiences of social upheaval and global conflict.
This compact but packed show includes Singh's large oil paintings as well as her more intimate drawings and watercolours nestled into the interior spaces of the gallery. For those new to Singh's work, the show is really a great way to get acquainted with multiple sides of her practice and find what resonates.
The canvases feel almost too big for the wall spaces; it can be hard to take in all the detail in narrow lanes, and it can feel a little claustrophobic. Though, this seems to add something to the almost desperate busyness of her paintings. Maybe that's just because I visited on a busy, sunny Saturday, when the whole of London felt desperate.
Her oil paintings have a little of the feel of Maria Berrio, and that idea of revealing the intimate in a familiar yet stark yet available way. Infinitely relatable in their strangeness. Her filling of the frame, her almost frantic storytelling, gives the impression of a continuously racing mind. She creates a thick flatness to each piece. It feels deep. I would believe you if you told me she painted over and over, thoughts rushing out, unmanaged, replacing one another as the layers of paint replace themselves. It's not paint for paint's sake. It's a release.
Singh's works on paper are quieter, more introvert, a different side to the artist. I personally liked many of these, they felt more intimate and revealing somehow. With such a large scope on show, there's plenty to discover, especially if the artist is not well known to you. As one of the many free exhibits around the capital, I highly recommend taking a wander through and absorbing a little of Singh's story.
29 MARCH -- 14 SEPTEMBER
UNDERSEA - HASTINGS CONTEMPORARY, HASTINGS
The latest offering at Hastings Contemporary brings a dive into myths and mysteries beneath the waves. Encompassing paintings, drawings, prints and objects, the work spans four centuries and five continents, exploring cultural connections and artistic movements.
Curated by art historian James Russell, the show has over 75 artworks and features artists from Michael Armitage to Taiso Yoshitoshi to work created by marine organisms.
One section of the exhibition is based on artists’ study of the marine environment and the creatures that inhabit it. Another brings together a group of works inspired by mythology and imaginary aquatic realms.
Undersea charts depictions of the sea through the ages and explores the diverse experiences and rich lore of those who live by, work on, or depend upon the sea.
Running through until September, there is plenty of time to plan a trip over the summer months, for what is an intriguing finale to a trilogy of exhibitions from the same curator exploring the world of the sea.
You can view a selection of the works and find out more on the link below.
10 APRIL -- 24 MAY
AMOAKO BOAFO: I DO NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE - GAGOSIAN, LONDON
Before going into what to expect from this exhibition - I should caveat this recommendation with the note that Boafo is one of my personal favourite artists working today, so this will descend into outright fan-girling with no hidden bias and plenty of unchecked enthusiasm. I "discovered" his work several years ago and found it deeply inspiring. He made me want to paint, to collage, to explore freedom in mark making. I don't do any of those things, but he really made me want to.
I Do Not Come To You By Chance is the debut solo exhibition from Boafo in the UK, and showcases his latest paintings in a space re-designed collaboratively with architect Glenn DeRoche. Over three rooms and through roughly 15 large-scale paintings, Boafo tells his family story, local Ghanaian history and interweaving autobiographical contexts, in his direct, joyful and intimate style.
It's moving. It's powerful. There is nothing quiet here. It's audacious, it's proud.
Seeing these paintings in the flesh is almost revelatory. They are large and domineering, but hung in a way which makes them approachable, you meet the subjects at eye level (almost), it feels personal and intimate. The eyes almost disappear into Boafo's delicious textures of skin, and yet, they pierce. They see you, return your gaze with the intensity turned up. He is a master of contemporary composition. The blank space, the high pattern, the density of skin. He knows where to leave off and where to push up the volume. It's beautiful.
These are portraits after all, and it's the power of his sitters (including himself) he harnesses to majesty. The works feel collaborative, he is telling their truth and creating his story, many narratives told through his singular voice.
With just less than the month to catch this show, it's bound to be busy at most times, but if you can find yourself a moment to take it in, it's worth every second to bathe in the gaze of an artist who has been described as the "future of portraiture".
That's our recommended exhibitions for this May, but we'd love to hear your thoughts, so drop us a message if you see any of the shows, and let us know what you think. Or tell us about something you recommend - we always love to share!
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