The entrance of the new year is one filled with hope and expectation. And as the art world reopens its doors to 2025, it brings exhibitions filled with colour, intricacy and depth. From powerful photography and larger than life sculptures, here are some exhibitions to see this month and one to look forward to starting in February.
As We Rise: Photography From the Black Atlantic (Saatchi Gallery)
Featuring emerging and established artists, Saatchi Gallery’s winter exhibition draws upon the connective intimacies of family and community that Black people share across the globe. Dr Kenneth Montague’s Wedge Collection portrays the meticulous accumulation of Black history through decades of photography. The still moments of each photograph are unique insights into the radical nature of everyday Black life outside of the common centre of the UK and the US. Instead, Montague’s collection and the selected works of James Barnor, Arielle Bobb-Willis and many others featured in the exhibition display snapshots of the Caribbean, Brazil and Canada.
Ending on January 20th
Lauren Halsey: emajendat (Serpentine Gallery)
Los Angeles native, Lauren Halsey, documents and archives the evolutionary nature of her home through sculpture. The Serpentine Gallery garden comes to life through the bold and bright colours of Halsey’s work, calling upon her position as an artist within the African diaspora and the Black and queer figures that shaped her. Layered with inspiration from funk music, Halsey’s first UK solo exhibition is a psychedelic dream of sculptures of various sizes, ranging from tableau scenes to miniature models. Time collapses in on itself, bringing the past, present and future into one.
Ending on February 23rd
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga: Nature Morte (October Gallery)
Grounded in the violent history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga’s exhibition at October Gallery provides commentary for the country’s current troubles. Through oil and acrylic, Ilunga expresses the troubling effects of colonialism and neo-colonialism on the country by juxtaposing vivid colours with an unmistakable absence of joy in each piece. Nature Morte (or dead nature) draws attention to the destructive consequences that neo-colonial exploitation has had on the lives of the people living in the DRC.
Ending on January 25th
Justin Dingwall: I See the Same Sky (Doyle Wham)
Justin Dingwall’s first UK solo exhibition is an ode to the boundlessness of mixed media artistry. Through photography, textiles and thermal printing, Dingwall interweaves artwork from multiple 2024 exhibitions to create I See the Same Sky. Depicting the contrastingly striking beauty of the female matador, the artist’s background in fashion shines through highlighting the attractive adornments of the garments while reminding viewers of the inherent danger of the occupation. Dingwall also calls upon the beauty of fragmentation and the imperfection of memory through his textile laced photography, expressing the necessity of keepsakes and mementos.
Ending on January 25th
Coming Up: Noah Davis (Barbican Art Gallery)
From February 6th, the Barbican Art Gallery will exhibit 50 works of the late Noah Davis. From his photography to his sculptures, Davis’ life’s work will be celebrated, depicting his strong dedication to community and the accessibility of art for all. His paintings specifically speak to the natural unorthodoxy of his practice as each brushstroke created a paradoxically dreamy yet natural perspective into the mundanity of everyday life. The Barbican will also feature his experimental works as an insight to his creative process and his attempts to contend with the complexity of politics and history
From February 6th to May 11th
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