LAF RECOMMENDS | TOP 10 ART EXHIBITIONS IN DECEMBER 2024 - London Art Fair (2024)

Ceramic artist Lindsey Mendick brings a darkly comic twist to the traditions of the medium with her thought-provoking and often confessional works. Visit our 2025 Museum Partner, the Sainsbury Centre on the campus of the University of East Anglia to discover the artist’s newly commissioned sculptures which confront social taboos and reveal her private fears.

Hear directly from the artist herself and learn more about this exciting exhibition at London Art Fair 2025 on Wednesday 22 January in a discussion with the centre’s head of Exhibitions,Tania Moore: ‘Hot Mess at the Museum: The Sainsbury Centre in Conversation with Artist Lindsey Mendick’.

Entry: Pay if and what you can

After a £2 million refurbishment, Modern Art Oxford has re-opened with two exciting exhibitions, Back Towards Oneness from artist Farwa Moledina, and Belkis Ayón: Sikán Illuminations (pictured). Cuban artist Belkis Ayón’s works fill the galleries with a mysterious presence, with images on an enormous scale created through the artist’s absolute mastery of collography.

Afterwards, stop by the new café, designed by artist Emma Hart, and featuring her distinctive ceramics throughout.

Entry: Free

The first comprehensive survey exhibition of British artist Barbara Walker (b. 1964, Birmingham, UK) explores her captivating figurative practice from the 1990s to the present.

Being Here showcases over 70 remarkable works, including seldom-seen paintings, her Turner Prize-nominated drawing series Burden of Proof (2022–23), and the newly commissioned printed wallpaper Soft Power (2024).

Entry: Free

Discover the profound interplay between nature, sound, and art in a captivating new series by one of Britain’s most esteemed artists. This exhibition presents 14 new paintings by the acclaimed Maggi Hambling, inspired by an unforgettable night in the Sussex woodlands alongside folk musician and conservationist Sam Lee. The enchanting songs of nightingales deeply moved Hambling, sparking the creation of artworks that capture the beauty and intensity of that experience.

Entry: £14

A captivating collection of new paintings by gallery artist Sean Jefferson will grace the walls of St. James’s this December. At the heart of the exhibition is a series of luminous, jewel-like panels inspired by the traditional folk song Green Grow the Rushes Oh, often performed as a Christmas carol. The display will also feature an extensive selection of Sean’s enchanting fairy paintings, for which he has become widely renowned.

Entry: Free

The first major exhibition dedicated to the visionary artist and designer Tirzah Garwood (1908 – 1951) is now open at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Widely recognized as the wife of Eric Ravilious and the author of Long Live Great Bardfield, Garwood was also a remarkable fine artist and printmaker in her own right. This retrospective offers the first comprehensive display of her work, providing a long-overdue critical exploration and public celebration of her captivating creations.

Entry: £20

The Tate Modern’s brand new blockbuster explores how artists used machines and algorithms to create art from the 1950s until the early 1990s. Learn more about the pioneers of optical, kinetic, programmed and digital art through their immersive sensory installations and automatically-generated works.

Entry: £22

The National Gallery’s major exhibition of works by Vincent Van Gogh is now booking until 19 January 2025 – visit for the unmissable chance to experience some of the most loved works by one of the most celebrated painters of all time, some of which are rarely seen in public.

Entry: From £24

Stanley Donwood takes over Jealous Gallery on 28 November for their final exhibition of the year. ‘The Last Domain’ features a selection of vibrant prints created in Jealous’ in-house studio.

See more of Donwood’s work alongside many of Jealous Gallery’s iconic represented artists onstand 18 at London Art Fair 2025.

Entry: Free

George Rouy, a prominent voice among the new generation of painters, presents his debut solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth London: The Bleed, Part I. This compelling showcase introduces a fresh body of work that furthers his exploration of collective forms, multiplicity, movement and the essence of human existence.

Entry: Free

Offer Waterman and Francis Outred present “Frank Auerbach: Portraits of London,” the first comprehensive survey of the artist’s London landscapes, showcasing a curated selection of works spanning his seven-decade career. Supported by major museums and private collections, the exhibition captures Auerbach’s evolving perspective of the city as it transforms from post-war recovery to a bustling metropolis by the 21st century. It features iconic locations like Oxford Street, St Pancras, and Primrose Hill, highlighting the dynamic shifts in color, texture, and form within Auerbach’s painting style. From the dense impasto works of the 1950s to the vibrant landscapes of the 1960s and the fluid creations of recent decades, visitors will experience a unique insight into both the artist’s journey and the ever-changing essence of London.

Entry: Free

This group of paintings has been completed in the last two years, between his house and studio in London and his house and studio in France, and tell a visual journey of the artists life and attempt to depict an emotional response to the world. Although images imply a reality they are in fact imaginary scenes from a stage in which the artist is participant.

Entry: Free

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is a prominent Romani visual artist, educator, and activist known for her vibrant textile collages that challenge stereotypes of Roma identity. Based in Czarna Góra, Poland, she uses materials collected from family and friends to create detailed portraits and scenes that reflect everyday life from a feminist perspective. Her work not only reinterprets historical depictions of Roma people but also celebrates their rich heritage and contemporary presence. Marking a significant moment in her career, this exhibition is her first major museum showcase in the UK, following her notable representation of Poland at the 2022 Venice Biennale, making her the first Roma artist to represent any country at the event.

Entry: £12 / Free for Members

Featuring more than 55works from the 1950s onwards, this exhibition will explore Francis Bacon’s deep connection to portraiture and how he challenged traditional definitions of the genre.

Entry: £23 / 25.50 with donation
Free for Members

This groundbreaking exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of Nicola L.’s diverse artistic practice, which spans multiple disciplines including sculpture, performance, painting, and film, while engaging themes like cosmology, environmentalism, spirituality, and feminist activism. Celebrated within Pop Art and Nouveau Realism, the show features her interactive ‘pénétrables’—textile sculptures designed for audience participation that symbolize unity beyond gender and ethnicity. Key works include large-scale functional sculptures that challenge societal norms, such as oversized furniture with political commentary, and the poignant series ‘The Femme Fatale,’ which memorializes women lost to violence. Additionally, the exhibition showcases Nicola L.’s exploration of moving image, featuring her films and documentaries that address various cultural and political subjects, reflecting her radical subversion and playful wit throughout her multifaceted career.

Entry: FREE

The exhibition from The Radev Collection traces the remarkable journey of a modern art collection that has passed through three queer homes—those of Eddie Sackville-West, Eardley Knollys, and Mattei Radev—featuring over 80 significant paintings that offer an intimate look at the evolution of modernism in Europe. This notable collection, one of the largest of modern British art, includes works by influential 20th-century artists such as Pablo Picasso, Winifred Nicholson, and key figures from the Bloomsbury Group. The exhibition not only showcases these artworks but also highlights the extraordinary lives of the collectors who nurtured and shared this collection, emphasizing how art became an integral part of their daily lives and friendships. As the collection is displayed at Charleston, it reveals profound connections between art and everyday existence, inviting viewers to engage with the personal histories behind each piece.

Entry: £8.50 concessions available

“AS WE RISE: PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE BLACK ATLANTIC” is an engaging exhibition showcasing photographs from the African Diasporic culture, organized by Aperture and curated by Elliott Ramsey. It highlights the Wedge Collection, Canada’s largest privately-owned collection dedicated to Black artists, established by Dr. Kenneth Montague in 1997. The exhibition emphasizes themes of community, identity, and power, reflecting the strength, beauty, and diversity of Black life through the works of both established artists like Horace Ové and Gordon Parks, and emerging talents such as Texas Isaiah and Arielle Bobb-Willis.

Entry: starting from £6 for all 3 winter exhibitions at Saatchi Gallery

The exhibition at the British Museum celebrates Pablo Picasso’s extensive and innovative printmaking career, showcasing over 2,400 works that illustrate his artistic evolution and personal experiences. Spanning his lifetime, the exhibition highlights his complex relationships with women and collaborations with printers and other artists, featuring key periods such as the early 1900s when he developed Cubism and the 1930s Vollard Suite that reflects his tumultuous personal life. It explores his later focus on lithography and linocut techniques after World War II, alongside thematic elements like the circus, bullfighting, love, and his engagement with classical art. The exhibition culminates with selections from the 347 Suite, a series completed in his late years that showcases a remarkable resurgence of creativity.

Entry: adults from £11, members and under 16s free

The exhibition at the museum is the first dedicated to Antonio Calderara in the UK, showcasing around 50 works that trace his artistic evolution from the 1920s to the late 1970s. Renowned for his delicate abstract imagery, Calderara’s style evolved from expressive figurative art to a refined geometric abstraction influenced by the tranquil landscapes of Lake Orta, Italy, where he lived and worked. His early 1930s paintings hint at his later fascination with atmospheric effects, while his late 1950s works eliminate all references to the objective world, focusing instead on harmonious formal relationships and contemporary abstract movements in Europe and the U.S. The exhibition includes both his figurative pieces and his mature geometric works, reflecting his connection to artists like Max Bill and Agnes Martin.

Entry: adult £7.50, concession £5.50, members free

The Turner Prize 2024 exhibition is now open until February 2025 – visit to discover the best of British art today by shortlisted artists Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas. We’d recommend aligning your visit to the Tate Britain with one of their free-to-attendAfrican Heritage Toursand ten-minute talks which are running throughout Black History Month.

Entry: £14

The Hayward Gallery presents Haegue Yang: Leap Year (9 Oct – 5 Jan), the first major UK survey of the internationally celebrated artist. Leap Year traces Yang’s extensive practice from the early 2000s to the modern day. Featuring three brand new commissions alongside various works from her most notable series including Sonic Sculptures, Dress Vehicles and the Venetian blind installations.

Tickets on sale now viaSouthbank Centre.

Entry: From £19

The latest addition to the iconic Fourth Plinth has been unveiled in Trafalgar Square – titled Mil Veces un Instante(A Thousand Times in an Instant) by Teresa Margolles, a Mexico-born visual artist, photographer, videographer and performance artist. The monument features plaster casts of the faces of 726 trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals, paying tribute to the artist’s friend, Karla, a transgender woman who was murdered in Mexico in 2015.

This major exhibition at the Holburne in Bath explores the shared theme of ‘the uncanny’ in the works of both Francisco de Goya (1746 – 1828) and Dame Paula Rego (1935 – 2022). Goya, a key influence on Rego’s career, is featured here with two complete sets of his etchings from The Follies (Los Disparates), exhibited for the first time alongside Rego’s Nursery Rhymes series.

Entry: £12.50 (including donation)

This powerful exhibition at the Wellcome Collection explores the experiences of underrepresented workers and their struggle for rights within unsafe labour conditions. Through a lens of protest and healing practices, the display uncovers the often overlooked histories of resistance and collective action. Throughout October, the Wellcome Collection are also hosting a series ofBlack History Month toursand talks guided by Isabelle Gapomo – learn more and book your spacehere.

Entry: Free

Opening on Friday 11 October at Brixton-based 198 Gallery, ‘Slippage’ – The Caribbean in Flux presents new bodies of work by four of the most exciting up-and-coming contemporary artists from Jamaica and Trinidad. The exhibition will ‘challenge thinking in ideas around historical memory, contemporary identity, (not)belonging and the possibilities that alternative histories/stories hold for the cultural imagination in post plantation societies’.

Entry: Free

As autumn begins, our2025 Museum Partnerthe Sainsbury Centre will tackle its next ‘big question’ with a six-month programme of interconnected exhibitions investigating why different cultures around the world take drugs.

Entry: Pay If and What You Can

Moco Museum London will kick off its programme with a brand new performance art exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Marina Abramović, ‘Healing Frequency’, opening on 11 September.

Now open at the Tate Modern until January 2025, discover the work of one of today’s most acclaimed photographers, Zanele Muholi, with over 260 works on display. Muholi describes themself as a visual activist, having documented and celebrated the lives of South Africa’s Black lesbian, gay, trans, queer and intersex communities since the early 2000s.

Entry: £18

10 years after ‘GIG’ by Phyllida Barlow, the inaugural exhibition of Hauser & Wirth Somerset, the artist’s work returns with another solo exhibition in celebration of her transformative approach to sculpture.

Entry: Free

A visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the perfect summer day out and this exhibition of work by Bharti Kher does not disappoint. The leading contemporary artist centres the female body and experience through sculpture, addressing timely political issues around identity and gender.

Entry: From £9.50

Reconnect with leading galleries from around the worldthis Januaryand enjoy an outstanding celebrationof Modern and Contemporary Art.

An opportunity for you to discover and engage with iconic modernist names, through to contemporary and emerging artists.

Browse over 100 participating galleries through the button below.

The gallery is delighted announce the opening of their new gallery in Hampshire with an inaugural ‘Winter’ exhibition.

Jenna Burlingham Gallery has expanded with a move to a much larger building, Rope House, on the same street as their original space in Kingsclere. This was once a 19th-century rope merchant’s home and workshop and now has the feeling of an informal townhouse. With open galleries at ground level and drawing rooms upstairs, paintings, prints, sculptures and ceramics are displayed throughout as part of interior settings.

Sumi, or Japanese ink, has been used for Oriental calligraphic works and paintings for a long time. The need for works in Sumi, an art form backed by a long unbroken history, remains strong.

In contemporary art, which is filled with an indiscriminate mix of materials and representation techniques, works produced based on Sumi are specifically referred to as “Sumi_ism” and at #7 exhibition a collection of works from Reiko Tsunashima and Sogen Chiba, Mizuho Koyama are displayed from this field.

Kerlin Gallery are delighted to present ‘Stuck on dawn,’ Marcel Vidal’s first solo exhibition at the gallery.

Celebrated for his diverse practice and immersive sculptural installations, the exhibition brings together three series of work in Marcel Vidal’s first exhibition dedicated exclusively to painting.