JOIN JANE CONTINUING TO MAKE SENSE OF ART
And this month Jane is looking ahead to exciting exhibitions in 2025.
Christmas is over, 2025 is upon us – and it’s time to look ahead to a new year of exciting exhibitions. I am going to share my top 10 picks – the 10 I will make every effort to go to see.
1. Expressions in Blue : Monumental Porcelain by Felicity Aylieff These 5m tall ceramic vases are on show at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew until 23rd March. The artist blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary ideas.
2. Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern from 10th July. Emily Kam Kngwarray is a renowned indigenous artist from Australia – painting on a monumental scale. She uses vibrant colour and intricate patterns that reflect her ancestral lands and culture.
3. Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at the National Portrait Gallery from June 20th. 2025 seems to be Jenny Saville’s year with major exhibitions also in Vienna and Texas. She is one of the most important and influential contemporary artists, said to be a natural successor to Bacon and Freud.
4. Radical Harmony at The National Gallery. This is a follow on from the fabulous Post Impressionism exhibition at The National Gallery last summer. This exhibition will feature the work of the Neo Impressionists including the pointillist painters Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Be prepared to go a bit dotty!
5. Edvard Munch Portraits at The National Portrait Gallery. March 13th – June 15th. A collection of intimate portraits of family and friends plus several self portraits.
6. The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Piccadilly, London. This year’s theme is ‘Dialogues’ and focuses on the ability of art to create dialogue.
7. From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce and Gabbana at The Grand Palais, Paris. 10th January – 31st March. This is a good reason to plan a few days in Paris. An exhibition where art meets fashion. It explores the influence of artists and artisans on the design duo. They were particularly inspired by Italian art and architecture. Who needs an excuse to go to Paris?
8. Daniel Arsham: Relics in the Landscape at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park, until 30th March. This North American sculptor works on a grand scale and has 4 major pieces in the Yorkshire landscape as well as smaller pieces inside.
9. Undersea Exhibition at The Hastings Contemporary from 29th March – 14th September. An exhibition of art and life beneath the waves. 75 artworks that span 4 centuries and a range of cultures.
10. Goya to Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Osker Reinhart Collection at The Courtauld Gallery, London. 14th February to 26th May. This is the 1st time this incredible collection has been displayed outside Switzerland. It includes works by Goya, Manet and Cezanne. This may be a good one to visit before going to Radical Harmony at The National Gallery.
So those are my top 10 of the big exhibitions that have been announced for 2025 and I’m sure there will be many more. We are so lucky in this country to have such a wealth of opportunities to see amazing art, old and contemporary, diverse and thought provoking – we must continue to enrich our lives and support our fantastic galleries.