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The Best Exhibitions in London for August 2025

Felt fish’n’chips, Millet’s exquisite pastoral scenes, the Princess of Wales turns her hand to curating – our pick of the best art to see in London this month

By Fiona McKenzie Johnston

4 August 2025

An original Ballets Russes backdrop, designed after a painting by Picasso at the newly opened V&A East Storehouse.

David Parry/PA Media Assignments

There’s glorious diversity to this month’s new art offerings, which range from Millet: Life on the Land at the National Gallery - an exhibition that gathers some of the 19^th century realist’s most beautiful pastoral scenes – to the Bourdon Street Chippy at Lyndsey Ingram Gallery, a high-octane immersive recreation of a traditional fish and chip shop, in felt. The latter is a guaranteed hit for those with children in tow, and, appropriately for the summer holidays, there are other shows that have all-ages appeal. Among them are Monster Chetwynd’s interactive Thunder, Crackle and Magic at Tate Modern, and artist and designer Tom Faulkner’s sculpture trail at Chelsea Barracks.

August is also – being a quieter month in the art calendar – an opportunity to catch up on all we haven’t yet seen, and, alongside, to discover (or rediscover) some of the city’s unparalleled permanent collections which, let’s not forget, are free. There are few greater pleasures than meandering the re-hung halls of the National Gallery and pausing to notice the mosaics on the floor of the main portico, which, laid by the artist Boris Anrep between 1928 and 1933, include recognisable portraits of Winston Churchill, Margot Fonteyn, and Virginia Woolf. Tate Britain has got a new display devoted to Bridget Riley, featuring both recent work, and some of her earliest pieces. Then there’s the Wallace Collection with its extraordinary collection of French rococo – Fragonard, Boucher et al – which inspired Grayson Perry’s Delusions of Grandeur, the current show in the museum’s exhibition space. (Do check out the shop while you’re there: the associated merchandise is extremely covetable.)

And have you yet been to the newly opened V&A East Storehouse? It’s a working museum store - but one where visitors can see the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior on public view outside the US, a 1920s German kitchen, and an original Ballets Russes backdrop, designed after a painting by Picasso. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a mini display curated by HRH The Princess of Wales; she’s chosen such items as a watercolour by Beatrix Potter and a costume designed by Oliver Messell for The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty.

The best exhibitions in London for 2025

Jean-François Millet
1/31
Millet: Life on the Land at the National Gallery
The 19^th-century realist painter Jean-François Millet was born into a farming family before, in 1849, moving to the village of Barbizon. It had become an important artists’ community – Corot and Rousseau were also living there. But while others of the Barbizon school were preoccupied with landscape, Millet’s focus was on the human element: the people who worked the land. Having grown up in a comparable milieu, he was familiar with the work – and he brought a new approach to capturing it in paint, one that was realistic, and unsentimental. There’s an emotional depth to the paintings’ beauty, and this unticketed single room exhibition at the National Gallery, WC2, borrows from other institutions to give us an exhibition of some of his best.
August 7 – October 19; nationalgallery.org.uk
Pictured: Jean-François Millet L’Angélus, 1857- 9 © Musée d'Orsay, Dist. Grand Palais Rmn / Patrice Schmidt
Copyright (C) reserved
2/31
Edward Burra/ Ithell Colquhoun at Tate Britain
It’s two for the price of one at Tate Britain, SW1, with a pairing of artists who overlapped in time – though not much else, and hence are hung as separate shows. Edward Burra is renowned for his vibrant, satirical scenes of the urban underworld during the 1920s, as well as later landscapes of rolling Sussex hills. A master of watercolour painting, he stretched the boundaries of the traditionally delicate medium, making it bold with vivid colour. Ithell Colquhoun was part of the British Surrealist movement in the 1930s and 1940s – and a practicing occultist who awarded a hypnotic beauty to her renderings of shells, corals and sea water. Much of what is on view has never been seen in public before.
Until October 19; tate.org
Pictured: Edward Burra Minuit Chanson 1931 Private Collection © The estate of Edward Burra, courtesy Lefevre Fine Art, London / Bridgeman Images
Alun Callender Photography
3/31
Bourdon Street Chippy at Lyndsey Ingram
Few foods are more associated with a British summer than fish and chips. Celebrating this beloved culinary staple, Lyndsey Ingram’s Mayfair gallery has been transformed into an immersive fish and chip shop by the artist Lucy Sparrow, where everything is fabricated in felt, from the cod to the mushy peas, the menu to the mayonnaise, the banquette seating to portraits of the chippy’s famous patrons – who include such stars as Bill Nighy and Michael Caine. And it’s a takeaway – enabling customers to create their own bespoke still lifes out of composite pieces. Are you more scampi or battered sausage? Ketchup or HP Sauce? Cornish Sea Salt or vinegar? It’s a bolt of undiluted fun – while simultaneously carrying serious appeal.
Until September 14; lyndseyingram.com
Pictured: Lucy Sparrow in The Bourdon Street Chippy, photography by Alun Callender
4/31
Keifer / Van Gogh at the Royal Academy
The German artist Anselm Keifer, whose monumental paintings have been exhibited in palaces, castles and galleries across the world, has long cited Post-Impressionist pioneer Vincent Van Gogh as a major influence. This summer the Royal Academy, W1, is showing their work side by side. While Keifer’s work dominates the space through its size, the parallels in their interest in texture are easy to discern, as is their subject matter. Van Gogh’s fields of wheat are depictions of intense emotion; for Keifer, landscape is a silent witness to human history. There’s euphoria and horror in both.
Until October 26; royalacademy.org.uk
Pictured: Anselm Kiefer, Nevermore, 2014. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, gold leaf and sediment of electrolysis on canvas. Eschaton Kunststiftung. Photo: Charles Duprat. © Anselm Kiefer

Lucy Dawkins
5/31
Monster Chetwynd: Thunder, Crackle and Magic at Tate Modern
This summer’s Uniqlo Tate Play in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall consists of three fantastical stages by the artist Monster Chetwynd, specifically designed for all ages to explore the magic of theatre. Each set is a spectacle of creatures and handcrafted props – and participants are invited to put on the provided costumes, and act out their own scenes. There are dragons, and a wild animal forest. There’s a space for puppet animation, and another for exploring the elements of wind, fire, and water through choreography.
Until August 25; tate.org.uk
Pictured: Installation Photography of Monster Chetwynd, Tate Modern 2024 (c) Lucy Dawkins
6/31
Dreaming Spires by Tom Faulkner at Chelsea Barracks
As part of Chelsea Barracks’ Summer in the Square, which has transformed the development into a cultural hub of weekend music performances and other events, the artist and House & Garden Design 100 designer Tom Faulkner has installed a succession of sculptures in Garrison Square and Mulberry Square, alongside a brand-new Wave bench and outdoor iterations of his much-loved Lily collection. It’s opportunity to see some of his strikingly contemporary designs up close – and amid gardens designed by Gustafson Porter + Bowman with Jo Thompson.
Until the end of September; chelseabarracks.com
Pictured: Tom Faulkner's Arizona Needles at Chelsea Barracks, copyright Jack Hobhouse
Wooden Funerary Boat, courtesy of Chiddingstone Castle
7/31
Making Egypt at the Young V&A
This child-centred exhibition at the Young V&A, E2, centres on creativity in Ancient Egypt. Cleverly, there’s something for everyone, with works drawn from the V&A’s own extensive collection, including the extraordinary fully painted inner sarcophagus of Princess Sopdet-em-haawt, as well as contemporary comics, games and films. There are also contemporary design responses to ancient Egyptian creativity, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza, in Lego.
February 15 – November 2; vam.ac.uk
8/31
What Art Can Tell Us About Love by Nick Trend
Summer is for lovers – or so they say. Technically, this is a book – but it has cleverly captured an exhibition in its pages, taking the reader through a beautifully curated selection of paintings behind which lie stories of deep devotion, as well as affairs, unrequited passion, and other potentially relatable situations. Both the art and artists’ lives are explored. Did Berthe Morisot marry the wrong Manet brother? Was Botticelli’s Birth of Venus inspired by his infatuation with the renowned beauty Simonetta Vespucci? There’s much more besides, featuring Caravaggio, Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon, Dora Carrington, and others.
Published by Laurence King

9/31
Between Sleeping and Waking: Hospital Dreams and Visions at the Bethlem Museum of the Mind
It’s been proven that art can play a significant role in recovering from mental illness – and notable are the organisations that are determined to make this a possibility, such as Hospital Rooms. Also worth remembering are the artists who have struggled with their mental health, among them Vincent Van Gogh, and Edvard Munch. Now, the Bethlem Museum of the Mind in Beckenham, which is linked to the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital, is mounting an exhibition of art by Bethlem Hospital patients and others, made over the past two hundred years. It includes work by Charlotte Johnson Wahl, and Madge Gill, whose life Grayson Perry looked into for his exhibition at the Wallace Collection (read on.)
August 13 – November 8; museumofthemind.org.uk
Pictured: Charles Sims, My Pain Beneath Thy Sheltering Hand, Tempera on linen on board, courtesy the Bethlem Museum of the Mind
10/31
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Tate Modern, SE1, is holding the largest ever presentation devoted to the renowned Aboriginal Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray. A founding member of the Utopia Women’s Batik Group, the show features her vibrant textiles as well as vast paintings that reflect her ancestral heritage, and are an unexpectedly moving record of love for an area of land.
July 10 – January 11; tate.org.uk
Pictured: Emily Kam Kngwarray, Ntang Dreaming 1989. NGA, Canberra © Emily Kam Kngwarry Copyright Agency. Licensed by DACS 2025 copy
11/31
The Barber in London: Highlights from a Remarkable Collection at The Courtauld Gallery
Birmingham’s loss is our gain – as exceptional paintings from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts go on display at The Courtauld Gallery, WC2. The two institutions were founded at the same time; both were intended to encourage the study and public appreciation of art, and both are home to two of the finest collections of European art in this country. Among the highlights are paintings by Frans Hals, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, and Edgar Degas.
Until February 22, 2026; courtauld.ac.uk
Pictured: Claude Monet, The Church at Varengeville, The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham
12/31
Abstract Erotic at the Courtauld
There’s more to see at the same gallery. In 1966, a young American critic and creator named Lucy Lippard brought together three female artists - Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams - as part of a larger show in a gallery in New York that offered a reimagining of what sculpture could be. Sixty years later, their works have been reunited. It’s not a complete restaging, although many of the sculptures, reliefs, and drawings being shown were in the original show. Then, the unconventional materials – rubber, latex, rubber tubing – marked a radical shift in practice. They’re still as exciting today.
Until September 14; courtauld.ac.uk
Pictured: Installation shot of Eccentric Abstraction, 1966, including Alice Adams’s Big Aluminum 1 (1965, cat. 19). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C

13/31
Cartier at the V&A South Kensington
King Edward VII referred to Cartier as “the jewellery of kings and the king of jewellers” –and 27 tiaras were ordered for his coronation in 1902, all worn by various members of the aristocracy. The famed house was also favoured by Indian maharajahs, Russian Tsars, and the grand dames of New York. This exhibition at the V&A South Kensington features more than 350 breathtaking pieces and explores the glittering artistry of Cartier’s designers and craftsmen through the 20^th century.
Until November 16; vam.ac.uk
Pictured: Scarab Brooch, Cartier London, 1925. Nils Herrmann, Collection Cartier © Cartier
Mike Bruce
14/31
Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at the National Portrait Gallery
For 30-plus years, Jenny Saville, who came to prominence in the 1990s as one of the YBAs, has been playing a leading role in the reinvigoration of figurative painting. Drawing inspiration from Rembrandt, Lucian Freud, and Francis Bacon, she creates visceral portraits from thick layers of paint that question the historical notion of female beauty. The National Portrait Gallery is hosting her largest institutional show in this country to date, bringing together works from public and private collections across the world. Oh – and don’t miss the shop, which has a new collection of merchandise from Jenny’s fellow YBA Tracey Emin, including eminently affordable tea towels, which sit alongside her equally democratically-priced range of ceramics.
June 20 – September 7; npg.org.uk
Pictured: Compass, 2013 by Jenny Saville, Private collection © Jenny Saville, Courtesy Gagosian
15/31
Marwan: A Soul in Exile at Christie’s
This non-selling exhibition at Christie’s, SW1, is the third in its series of shows that highlight influential artists from the Arab world. Marwan, who died in 2016, was born and did his initial studies in Damascus, before moving to Berlin. The presented paintings take the viewer through his artistic evolution, and the development of the hauntingly beautiful visual language though which he explored the theme of identity.
Until August 22; christies.com
Pictured: Ohne Titel (Untitled), 1969 - Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, Photo Shanavas Jamaluddin © Estate Marwan
David Parry
16/31
The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition
The RA’s Summer Exhibition has taken place every year since 1769. Once upon a time it was where Gainsborough, Turner, Constable and Reynolds vied for recognition and column inches. Now, it’s where you can see works by today’s Royal Academicians – many of whom House & Garden have visited in their studio, including Grayson Perry, Jock McFadyen, Rose Wylie, Antony Gormley, Maggi Hambling, Sean Scully, Eileen Cooper – alongside a famously varied cornucopia of paintings, prints and sculptures by other artists, at all points of their career. It’s also a shopping opportunity: prices start at as little as £100, and 30% of each sale goes to fund the RA schools and future exhibition programming. If you are in the acquisitions market, know that RA members benefit from early access both to the show, and buying.
June 17 – August 17; royalacademy.org.uk
Pictured: Installation view of the Summer Exhibition 2024 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Photo © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry

17/31
Rachel Jones: Gated Canyons at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Rachel Jones is renowned for her vibrant use of colour, and her combing of both abstract and figurative motifs. This show at Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21 – the first contemporary solo show to be held in the main exhibition space - features a new body of work that responds to the gallery’s permanent collection of masterpieces by artists including Rembrandt, Poussin, Rubens, Canaletto, Gainsborough, and Veronese.
June 10 – October 19; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Pictured: Rachel Jones, Gated Canyons, 2024, courtesy the artist. Photography by Eva Herzog
Justin_Piperger
18/31
A Day at the Seaside at Oliver Projects Gallery
Also in Dulwich is another conjuring of summer, via this lovely show which is the first to take place in Oliver Projects’ new permanent home. A contemporary gallery with a special focus on artists based in south east London, the exhibition has been curated by Royal Academician Eileen Cooper (who House & Garden have visited in her home studio.) It brings together a cross generational group of artists – and there are seagulls in flight, ice-creams, and evocative renderings of sparkling seas. The prices are what could be described as friendly.
Until August 16; oliverprojects.com
Pictured: Eileen Cooper RA Under the Parasol 2025, pencil, gouache and watercolour, courtesy of Oliver Projects Gallery
© 2017 Mark Woods . Photo Credit: Mark Woods . Contact: woods@post.harvard.edu ; 646-402-5964. Photograph by Mark Woods. Photos may not be reproduced, distributed, or publicly displayed without photo credit to Mark Woods. Photos are provided to client as documentation only, and may not be sold or used as the basis for derivative works without the prior express written authorization from the copyright owner.
19/31
Once Upon A Time in London at Saatchi Yates
Saatchi Yates, SW1, is giving us a summer show that is a cross-generational love letter to the city’s creative soul. Combining museum loans and new commissions, it brings together works by artists including Francis Bacon, Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, Tracey Emin, Peter Doig, Jade Fadojutimi, Alvaro Barrington – and Nicky Haslam, in that he has designed a new tea towel. ‘Art Things Nicky Haslam Finds Common’ is as gloriously irreverent as ever: Banksy, Giverny, the Mona Lisa, and the colour white are all on the interior designer’s hit list.
Until August 17; saatchiyates.com
Pictured: Peter Doig, Junior Lion, 2017, oil and distemper on linen © Peter Doig
Royal Collection Trust
20/31
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
The Edwardian period – the years between 1910 and the 1914 when the Great War began - often gets overlooked. But, in terms of both art and design, it was age of opulence and glamour, and the beginning of what we think of as the modern era. This exhibition at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, gives us opportunity to discover the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary. More than 300 objects from the Royal Collection will be on display, many of them for the first time, among them works by the most renowned artists of the day, including Carl Fabergé, John Singer Sargent, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, and William Morris.
April 11 – November 23; rct.uk
Pictured: Charles Baugniet, After the Ball- a Lady in a Ballgown Asleep on a Sofa, c.1860–67 © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024 | Royal Collection Trust

21/31
Cecil Beaton’s Garden Party at the Garden Museum
This title of this exhibition at the Garden Museum, SE1, is not misleading: it really is a (floral) riot. Artist, photographer, designer and Bright Young Thing Cecil Beaton had a passion for gardens and everything that grew in them. Indeed, they were a thread that linked his various pursuits, from society portraiture to interior decoration and set and costume design for such visually decadent films as My Fair Lady. The show – designed by Luke Edward Hall - follows Beaton’s horticultural development through his gardens at Ashcombe House and Reddish House, drawing on photography, paintings, costumes, and personal diaries. It looks at his collaborations with Constance Spry, his pioneering use of painted and fresh flowers as backdrops for fashion photography, and at the lavish arrangements he created for parties using flowers he had grown himself (which might provide inspiration: do try this at home!)
May 14 – September 21; gardenmuseum.org.uk
Pictured: Royal Portrait of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), Buckingham Palace, Cecil Beaton, 1945 © Cecil Beaton; Victoria & Albert Museum
Bridgeman Images
22/31
Turner’s Kingdom: Beauty, Birds, and Beasts at Turner’s House
This year would have been Joseph Mallord William Turner’s 250^th birthday. It’s worth scheduling some time at the Clore Gallery at Tate Britain, which, thanks to his bequest to the nation, is the world’s largest collection of his works. It’s also worth making a trip to Twickenham, and Sandycombe Lodge. Built in 1813 to his designs to provide a quiet retreat away from the pressures of the London art world, it’s currently holding an exhibition of the artist’s rarely seen bird studies, alongside fish and other animals. There’s an accompanying show of works by Sinta Tantra and Eileen Cooper.
Until October 26; turnershouse.org
Pictured: JMW Turner, Head of a Heron with a Fish, 1815 © Leeds Museums and Galleries, UK
23/31
Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits at Kenwood House
Just as Twickenham wasn’t part of London when Turner built his house, nor was Hampstead when the magnificent Palladian-style villa that is Kenwood House was erected on the northern edge of the Heath. It was remodelled in the 18^th century by the great Robert Adam, and the library, with its neoclassical form, decorative frieze, and ceiling paintings by Antonio Zucchi, is widely considered one of the greatest surviving examples of his work anywhere in Britain – and there’s more by him there, too. Increasing the importance of scheduling a visit (or revisit) is a temporary exhibition of eighteen exquisite paintings by John Singer Sargent, portraits of the women once labelled ‘dollar princesses’– a history currently being explored in season 3 of The Gilded Age.
May 16 – October 5; english-heritage.org.uk
Pictured: John Singer Sargent, Mrs. Wilton Phipps (Jessie Wilton Phipps), c. 1884 © Steven De Witt Lowy
24/31
Do Ho Suh: Walk The House at Tate Modern
There’s quite a different sort of interior at Tate Modern, SE1, courtesy of the Korean-born, London-based artist Do Ho Suh. The galleries have been filled with his delicate brand of architecture that recreate his past homes in Seoul, New York, and London. Visitors can walk through his rooms and corridors rendered in multi-hued sheer fabric, adorned with meticulously detailed light switches, plug sockets, and door handles (we’ve long talked of the importance of prettifying such things.) But beside being genuine interiors inspiration, they’re installations that ask: Is home a place, a feeling, or an idea? There are also sculptures, videos and drawings, for this is a major survey that looks back at three decades of a unique practice.
Until October 19; tate.org.uk
Pictured: Do Ho Suh, Nests, 2024. (detail) Courtesy the Artist and Lehmann Maupin New York, Seoul and London and Victoria Miro. Photography by Jeon Taeg Su © Do Ho Suh

José María Velasco
25/31
José Maria Velasco: A View of Mexico at the National Gallery
The 19^th century José Maria Velasco is little known in this country, but he is one of Mexico’s most loved artists. An exhibition at the National Gallery, W1, shows us why, via his sweeping landscapes of the Valley of Mexico, that, in their detail, allude both to the country’s historic past and its rapid industrialisation. The show makes links to works by his European contemporaries that are also in the gallery’s collection, notably Edouard Manet’s The Execution of Emperor Maximilian.
Until August 17; nationalgallery.org.uk
Pictured: José María Velasco Lago de Chalco, 1885 oil on canvas National Gallery of Prague copywrite National Gallery of Prague photo Andrea Rývová
26/31
Lina Lapelyté at The Cosmic House
On the subject of house museums, there are few more extraordinary than The Cosmic House, which is on Lansdowne Road, W11. For years it was the family home of famed architect and landscape designer Charles Jenks, his wife, the writer and designer Maggie Keswick, and their children. (You might have seen Charles’s Landform in front of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, or his Cells of Life at Jupiter Artland.) A leading proponent of Post-Modernism, the London house became an opportunity to create a ‘cosmic house’ that explores the meaning of time, the seasons, and the galaxies. The staircase are ‘solar stairs’, with a step for each week of the year, and they’re lit by the silvery light of the ‘moonwell’ above. There’s a spring room, and a winter room, and a non-working jacuzzi by fellow PoMo architect Piers Gough based on an upturned version of Borromi’s Renaissance dome. Increasing the allure is a new, site-specific exhibition by Lina Lapelyté, who was part of the creative team responsible for the indoor beach and opera installation that won a Golden Lion at the 2019 Venice Biennale. Now, she’s collaborated with a group of performers to explore the themes of the house via performative and musical video work.
Until December 19; jencksfoundation.org
Pictured: In the Dark, We Play, 2025, video still by Martynas Norvaišas, commissioned by the Jencks Foundation at The Cosmic House
Jack Hems
27/31
Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur at the Wallace Collection
Whether you appreciate the Wallace Collection depends largely on whether you like the elaborate ornamentation of Rococo and 18^th century French paintings, furniture, and porcelain. Grayson Perry - whose art explores ideas about social identity, class, and gender - isn’t keen. This proved an issue when he was invited to prepare this exhibition, which is the largest contemporary exhibition the museum has ever hosted. His solution was to find another alter ego. Her name is Shirley Smith, and she is obsessed with the collection – and believes herself to be its rightful heir. The result is 40 new works by Grayson, including ceramics, tapestries and collage, displayed alongside pieces from the museum, that look at the nature of craft and collecting, as well as addressing the idea of ‘outsider’ art.
Until October 26; wallacecollection.org
Pictured: Grayson Perry, I Know Who I Am, 2024 © Grayson Perry. Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro
Bridgeman Images
28/31
Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern
Australian born, Leigh Bowery arrived in London in 1980, and swiftly became renown as an artist, performer, fashion designer, musician, and muse – or, according to his friend and collaborator Boy George, “modern art on legs.” Outrageously flamboyant, he reimagined clothing and make-up as sculpture and paint, challenged aesthetics and taste, and founded the decadently anarchic Taboo nightclub where the door policy was "dress as though your life depends on it, or don’t bother.” It was where Leigh was introduced to Lucian Freud, who had seen Leigh perform at Anthony d’Offay Gallery. Freud painted Leigh multiple times, altering Leigh’s relationship with his body, and in turn his use of it in his performances, which continued into late 1994. He died of AIDS on New Year’s Eve that year, aged 33; “Tell them I’ve gone to Papua New Guinea,” he suggested be said, while he was in hospital. This show at Tate Modern combines Leigh’s dazzling costumes with paintings, photographs and videos, to offer a portrait of the artist, and explore his lasting impact. Two books are a worthy accompaniment. The first is Sue Tilley’s biography, Leigh Bowery: The Life and Times of an Icon, which offers an evocative and intimate account by someone who was one of his best friends, and also modelled for Freud. The second is Charlie Porter’s Nova Scotia House: A Novel, a work of fiction inspired by the creative scene of that time – and a beautifully written exploration of experimentation, freedom set against the loss and grief wrought by AIDS.
Until August 31; tate.org.uk
Pictured: Lucian Freud, Leigh Bowery, 1991 (c) The Lucian Freud Archive, All Rights Reserved 2024

29/31
Artists of Fame and Promise at David Messum Fine Art
The summer exhibition at David Messum Fine Art, SW1, is an opportunity to see new work by some of the gallery’s established artists – and to discover new names. Running through the show is an East Anglian thread: Simon Carter’s paintings of the ever-changing Essex marshes capture moments of their ephemeral state, James Dodds’ depictions of boats evoke the area’s maritime soul, and there are several of Guy Taplin’s avian sculptures.
August 6 – 29; messums.com
Pictured: Yellow Boat by James Dodd, oil on linen, 2024, courtesy of David Messum Fine Art
30/31
Yoshitomo Nara at the Hayward Gallery
Do you like the art of Yoshitomo Nara? Do you find it captivating, and agree that he delivers “punk rock for your inner child”? I can guarantee that countering the ‘er, no’s will be an equal number of enthusiastic ‘yes!’s. Whatever your feelings, we’re being given opportunity to see a wide variety of the Japanese artist’s work, featuring his pop culture and manga-influenced non-conformist figures at the Hayward Gallery, SE1, this summer.
Until August 31; southbankcentre.co.uk
Pictured: Yoshitomo Nara, Fire, 2009. Courtesy of the artist and Yuichi Kawasaki Collection
ISABEL INFANTES
31/31
Glassed in Dreams at 100 Bishopsgate
While you’re in the Square Mile, do drop into 100 Bishopsgate, where the light-filled atrium has been filled with striking glass sculptures, bestowing a corporate environment with a fragile beauty. Created by the conceptual artist Gabriele Beveridge, it’s a boundary-blurring female-led initiative inspired by George Oppen’s poem Of Being Numerous, which has also given the show its title.
Until March 31, 2026; brookfieldproperties.com
Pictured: NEST (II) by Gabriele Beveridge

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Fiona McKenzie Johnston has been contributing to House & Garden since 2017. She writes the art pages as well as decorating columns for the website, having started her career with the magazine’s sister publications AD and Vogue. She has an MA in History of Art from the University of St. Andrew’s, ... Read More

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