As revision week approached I hopped onto a morning train to London with a list of current art exhibitions, seeking inspiration, a change of scenery and a bit of rest before my exams. I spent the weekend ignoring the permanent collections to save time and attempting to navigate the city’s web of underground stations. Despite sadly not being able to attend temporary exhibitions in smaller contemporary galleries such as Robilant+Voena or Carlos Ishikawa due to them being closed on the weekends (duh…), I visited all of the big ones on my list and described the best ones below.
Making Modernism: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin
At the Royal Academy of Arts until 12 February 2023.
This exhibition showcases the art of prominent female artists working in Germany in the early 20th century. The art of Modersohn-Becker, Kollwitz, Münter and Werefkin covers the subjects of the female body, childhood, societal life, urban scenes as well as numerous still-lives and portraits of friends and colleagues. The exhibition is a perfect opportunity to get acquainted with female artists who, unlike their male counterparts such as Kandinsky or Munch, have not enjoyed the same level of popularity.
Lucian Freud: New Perspectives
At the National Gallery Until 22 January 2023
The first major exhibition of Freud’s work in 10 years opened at the National Gallery in October and is definitely worth a visit. Presenting Lucien Freud’s lesser-known early paintings and intimate family portraits as well as the large-scale studies of nude bodies and his most popular work, the exhibition covers 70 years of artistic practice with more than 60 paintings on display.
Helen Saunders: Modernist Rebel
At the Courtauld Gallery until 29 January 2023
A small exhibition of Helen Saunders’s drawings and watercolours at the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery in The Courtauld is the first exhibition of her work in over 25 years. Saunders was one of the two women in the Vorticist circle, developing her own figurative style. Since the loss of the majority of her paintings and the consistent minimisation of her contributions to British modernism, Saunders had fallen into obscurity. Helen Saunders: Modernist Rebel seeks to bring the artist back into the discussion of British modernism and recognise the importance of her contributions the art of the early 20th century.
Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art
At the Hayward Gallery until 8 January 2023
The exhibition features 23 artists from all over the world and explores topics such as the human body, architecture and nature. From Jonathan Baldock and Liu Jianhua’s large-scale installations to Grayson Perry’s smaller ceramic works, Strange Clay: Ceramics in Contemporary Art offers a truly immersive experience which examines the different forms of ceramic art.
Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics
At the Barbican until the 8 January 2023.
The American performer, artist, dancer and feminist icon remains an inspiration for contemporary artists to this day. Her pioneering work had transcended time and comments on the topics of war, women, sex as well as human and animal rights. Schneemann often used her body as an art medium. The exhibition at the Barbican showcases her films, installations, performances and early paintings and is definitely one you should visit.