2024 - Issue 135
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention last week.
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The annual End of Year Exhibition is always a joy to view and a great opportunity to pick up some well priced “drawings”, although this year a large number of students have explored a more painterly approach. There’s quite a few works you could easy mistake as acrylic or watercolour, plus a few that actually are. That’s not so much a complaint as it is testament to the students’ skills and attempts to explore what an artwork on paper can be.
‘The Royal Drawing Year 2024’ at Royal Drawing School (@royaldrawingschool) until 19 Dec
I’m not really a fan of photorealism or still life but I appreciate when they are done well, and Pontone is currently showcasing artists that do them exceptionally well. So well, in fact, that it would cost you less to travel around Italy and Scotland with a camera to replicate all the scenes that Iain Faulkner (@iain_faulkner) painted than to buy any single one of his works. They’re very good, but nowhere near as mindbogglingly realistic as the masterpieces in the basement by Luciano Ventrone (1942-2021). I’m still not convinced these aren’t actually photos.
‘A Man Alone…’ at Pontone Gallery (@pontonegallery) until 11 Jan 2025
One canvas appears to depict an anorexic alien cat. Two others might be fragmented slabs from a larger composition. Across all the works you’ll spot just enough boney structures and eyeballs peeking out from the thickly layered paint and textured canvasses to keep you confused. Whether or not these paintings by Kin Ting Li (@kintingli) are organics or abstracts is the question I still haven’t answered, but I prefer not knowing. The mysterious forms makes them an engaging study.
‘Pockets of Want and Need’ at South Parade (@southparade_) until 11 Jan 2025
Chinese porcelain and decor, Greek mythology, Old Masters, Roccoco, Trompe-l'œil and a generous sprinkling of gender and race. Why pick any three when you can mix them all together? On paper it’s a recipe that shouldn’t work, but Xu Yang (@_xu.yang_) blends them in ways I find visually captivating in spite of the narrative confusion from the collision of too many concepts.
‘Daughter, Sister, Mother, Monster’ at Berntson Bhattacharjee(@berntsonbhattacharjee) until 25 Jan 2025
Conveniently located a ten minute walk apart from each other, Liberty, Fortnum & Mason and The Smallest Gallery in Soho are the three must-see window displays this Christmas. In the one where you can’t shop, Asya Marakulina (@asya_marakulina) explores balance and belonging with floating fuzzy figures she calls “little heroes”.
‘Uprooted’ at The Smallest Gallery in Soho (@thesmallestgalleryinsoho) until Feb 2025
Honourable Mention Artworks
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With echoes of Christo, these mummified burlap sacks from Daniel Brusatin (@dbrusatin) look like the Ghost of Christmas Past has come to deliver long forgotten presents. On display at Kearsey & Gold (@kearsey.gold) until 22 Dec.
PLUS…
Check the What’s On page so you don’t miss any other great shows closing soon.
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