Follow me on a London gallery hop as I take you through my favourite shows to see this June 🔮

The Incorrigible Giantess, PM/AM

Amanda Ba’s first ever European solo exhibition opened last week and honestly if you see anything this June, it should be this. Her mythological paintings are saturated with vivid colour, as the artist seeks to challenge Western Orientalism and traditional depictions of femininity. Ba’s giant canvases feature nude figures as well as her signature muscular dogs and red oil paint. As you enter the gallery, the first painting on the left is illuminated with violet hues, as lightning bolts strike in the distance. It’s giving Stranger Things and I’m obsessed. Go and see this show!!

The show runs until July 3rd.

And this skin of mine, to live again a second time, Guts Gallery

Yesterday, I finally got the chance to visit Guts Gallery at the new permanent space in Hackney. I stopped by 10 minutes before closing time which, by the way, is the best and worst time to see a show because you have the gallery all to yourself but you have to be very swift. The new group show, featuring paintings by Larissa de Jesús Negrón, Kemi Onabule, Nana Wolke, and many more, examines the notion of rebirth and its significance in present day. The exhibition is embedded in powerful symbolism, with poet and musician James Massiah describing rebirth as a chance to “live again a second time”.

The show runs until June 23rd and offers step-free access via a lift.

When the Knife Hits the Plate, Scream, Niru Ratnam Gallery

I first saw Nell Brookfield’s work last winter at Eve Leibe Gallery and I was blown away by the detail and vibrant patterns present in each painting. This month, the young artist returns with a solo show at Niru Ratnam Gallery, presenting a series of fresh works. There is a sense of continuity, as Brookfield’s compositions are punctuated by recurring motifs of red hands, dark tendrils, and cropped scenes depicting social gatherings. Bathed in rich texture, each moment appears almost frozen in time. In what can only be described as an eerie body of work, Brookfield’s new paintings are pleasantly unsettling.

The show runs until June 25th.

From Near and Far: Collage and Figuration in the Contemporary Age, Stephen Friedman Gallery

Curated by artist Deborah Roberts and founder of The Great Women Artists Katy Hessel, this new group exhibition explores the power of collage. The exhibition is divided between two gallery spaces across the street from one another, giving the show a really interesting layout. The works bring together striking imagery from dissimilar components, questioning our tendency to detach fine art from ordinary objects. The star-studded show features works by Jordan Casteel, Amy Sherald, Lubaina Himid, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Mickalene Thomas, and Chantal Joffe. Some of the works really come alive in person, for example online images can’t capture the shimmering rhinestones in Mickalene Thomas’ portrait, Jet Blue #44. From Near and Far ultimately transforms ordinary ephemera into images of unity.

The show runs until July 23rd.

Nengi Omuku: Parables of Joy, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery

Lastly, one of my absolute favourite shows this month has to be Parables of Joy. This is Lagos-based artist Nengi Omuku’s first solo show with Pippy Houldsworth Gallery and her works are honestly amazing. Figuration and abstraction collide in Omuku’s works, echoing her complex narratives of culture and belonging. The gallery space is filled with lots of natural light and a few of the works are suspended from the ceiling using thin wires, allowing them appear as if they’re floating. Applying oil paint to sanyan – a traditional Nigerian fabric normally used for draped clothing, Omuku creates ethereal textile works that explore her cultural heritage and identity.

The show runs until July 30th.