Unmissable Art Exhibitions in London, July 2018

02 Jul 2018 | Updated on: 27 Sep 2022 |By Philippa Baker

This month's pick of unmissable exhibitions features sun-drenched fine art photography, Frida Kahlo and a striking new gallery in Mayfair

Monday Club by Chris Moon, Gallery 46

Monday Club is a new body of work by Chris Moon, the London-based painter favoured by Sir Paul McCartney, Gemma Arterton, Ed Sheeran and Michael Fassbender. Presented across two Georgian terrace houses in East London, the exhibition is inspired by Moon’s daily cycle from his Bethnal Green studio to London Fields Lido. Working with oil-stick and paint, watercolour and gloss emulsion on canvas, the beguiling series stirs poolside scenes with abstract figures, elevated by unexpected neon hues.

12 July -17 July, 46 Ashfield Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AJ, gallery46.co.uk

Vanishing Point by Liu Bolin, Bel-Air Fine Art London

The debut solo photographic exhibition at BAFA (Bel-Air Fine Art London) by Chinese artist Liu Bolin features a collection of his most celebrated work, in addition to previously unseen photographic studies. Bolin is renowned for his technical method of using complex, hand-painted camouflage, inspired by social and political issues. BAFA opened in January 2018 to a fanfare reception and is the first gallery of the Belair Fine Art group in the UK.

Until 15 September, 105 New Bond Street, W15 1DN, belairfineart.com/en/

The Edit by various artists, HOFA Gallery

The House of Fine Art is enjoying a moment of expansion, with new spaces in Mayfair, Mykonos and West Hollywood. A new summer exhibition titled The Edit opens in London this July at HOFA Gallery, showcasing a diverse selection of sculptures, paintings and mixed media, featuring renowned and raw talent. Ideal for collectors and enthusiasts alike, highlights including Marco Grassi, Robert Standish, Tian and Romina Ressia.

4 July – 8 August, 58 Maddox Street, Mayfair, W1S 1AY, thehouseoffineart.com

Mathematics by Peter Fraser, Camden Art Centre

Head to the Camden Art Centre this month for the first UK exhibition of Mathematics from British fine art photographer Peter Fraser. This wonderfully complex and colourful series is influenced by the philosophical musings of Lucretius, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Galileo and physicist Max Tegmark. The images, which are shot in various locations, bring seemingly disparate objects together through mathematical explanation.

Free, 6 July – 16 September, Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG, camdenartscentre.org

The Garden by Ryan Hewett, Unit London

Unit London has unveiled a capacious new 6000 sq. foot site on Hanover Street in Mayfair. The inaugural exhibition by South African abstract figurative painter Ryan Hewett features a new series of brightly-saturated oil paintings, which draw on fantasy and surrealism. The Garden marks Hewett’s third solo exhibition with Unit London and demonstrates the artist’s flair for illustrious geometric forms, which drawing from human experience and the natural world.

29 June -22 July, Unit London, 3 Hanover Square, W1S 1HD, theunitldn.com

The Miserable Lives of Fabulous Artists by Chris Orr RA, Burlington House

The Academicians in Focus programme at Burlington House continues with new works on paper by Chris Orr RA, taken from his series, The Miserable Lives of Fabulous Artists. Orr’s unique and humourous watercolour studies reimagine notable characters in art history, including John Constable, Frida Kahlo and Pablo Picasso. The collection is accompanied by a book of the same title featuring 30 vibrant compositions, each of which is available to purchase online.

Until 9 August, Burlington House, W1J 0BD, royalacademy.org.uk

New Painting by Christopher Le Brun, Lisson Gallery

Making his debut at the Lisson Gallery this month, British artist Christopher Le Brun presents an arresting series of large-scale abstract paintings. Le Brun, who is also President of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, is renowned for his expressive oil works on canvas, which reference music, literature and poetry.

4 July – 18 August, 27 Bell Street, NW1 5BU, lissongallery.com

Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany (1919 – 1933), various artists, Tate Modern

A new year-long exhibition opens at the Tate Modern this July, showcasing 70 paintings and works on paper of the Weimar Republic (1919-33) from the George Economou Collection. Magic Realism explores the Weimar era in all its complexities and offers a rare chance to see work not ordinarily available to the public. Otto Dix, George Grosz and Max Beckmann feature alongside lesser-known artists such as Albert Birkle and Jeanne Mammen.

Free, 30 July 2018 – 14 July 2019, Millbank, SW1P 4RG, tate.org.uk. (Photo credit: Albert Birkle, The Acrobat Schulz V, 1921, The George Economou Collection© DACS, London 2018)

Silver Lake Drive by Alex Prager, The Photographers’ Gallery

Spread over two floors at The Photographers’ Gallery in Soho, this new exhibition brings together more than 40 career-defining photographs from American photographer and filmmaker, Alex Prager. The exhibition features Prager’s trademark, large-scale technicolor photographs spanning across art, fashion and photography, alongside her complete film oeuvre.

Free before 12pm, until 14 October, 16 – 18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW, thephotographersgallery.org.uk

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