Cathy's Art Diary

Stunning exhibition at the Stephen Friedman Gallery of new work by Kehinde Wiley. I love Wiley's portraits so it was exciting to see this new project. In a change of mood the majority of works in the show were miniature but all done in the hyperreal detailed style of his monumental work, setting black sitters within an intricate millefleur background. They had a jewel-like quality and a feel of Tudor miniatures emphasised by the 18th century style black frames. I was fascinated to read on the press release that Wiley had met most of the sitters on the same day at the University of Lagos. It gave them an added sense of being a picture of a generation of young people. These were shown with two multi-canvas portraits breaking up the image of the sitters over around ten images. Closed 9 November 2024  

Lovely exhibition at the Stephen Friedman Gallery of three series of drawings by Kenturah Davis. These were exquisite drawings on paper embossed with text from various books and essays as well as comments on the process of the work. I loved the texture this gave to the work. Two series were portrait based, one shown in groups and the other in a bespoke frame with mini sculptures built in made by the artist’s partner. I loved the movement in these pictures and the detail in them. The third series showed clouds based on snap shots and were displayed in one room like an installation. Closed 20 July 2024

Colourful exhibition at the Stephen Friedman of new work by Yinka Shonibare. This show included some of Shonibare's signature sculptures featuring brightly coloured waxed Ankara fabric. I particularly liked this life-sized horse and rider which comments on colonialism but also remined me of Papageno in The Magic Flute. Complementing this statue were some large applique quilts featuring large, colourful, endangered birds. Alongside Shonibare's work was a group presentation of work by African artists and the African diaspora curated by the artist some of whom had participated   in a residency programme he runs in Lagos. This work seemed duller in comparison but it set up an interesting dialogue. Closed 11 November 2023

Simple but effective installation at the Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Shrigley. The consisted of two rooms of neon tennis balls on narrow shelves and visitors are invited to bring an old tennis ball to swap with one of them so that over the course of the show the display will change plus people either have a new tennis ball or an art work depending how you view it. You also got a pin badge. I wish I’d realised this was interactive as I’d have taken a dog ball along. Reading the press release again now it says Shrigley was inspired by his dog chasing balls. He said her interest was “more about exchange than possession”. You can’t help but love contemporary art inspired by a dog! I was also amused by the poor gallery attendant who had put the balls back on the shelves after small children had knocked them off. We played spot the gap together for a few minutes. Closes 8 January 2022  

Colourful and thoughtful exhibition over two of the Stephen Friedman Galleries of new work by Yinka Shonibare. The work explores the relationship between African Aesthetics and western modernism. The first room was three large sculptures of mythical hyrid beings like classical statues with their heads replaces by replicas of the African masks collected by Picasso and painted in Shonibare’s signature Ankara fabric patterns. The second room was an installation of masks in bright colours, shown here, with archive film of African influences in the early 20th century. Over the road the second gallery had quilts in the signature fabrics in Harlequin patterns as another nod to Picasso. I am fond of Shonibare’s work when it appears in various exhibitions and it was interesting to see it a selecting of it on it’s own to appreciate the subtlety of the ideas it is portraying. Closes 31 July 2021  

Interesting exhibition at Stephen Friedman Gallery of work by Ugandan artists Leilah Babirye. This was a mix of wooden sculpture, large -scale ceramic works, masks and large paintings on paper. I loved the way she uses found objects which she combines with hand crafted pieces. Depending on scale they reminded me of totem poles, shrunken heads or Benin bronzes. I liked the way they worked as individual pieces but also grouped together so well. I have since read the press release and realised the pieces are also saying things about LGBTQ life in Uganda and Africa and about Bugandan kinship systems but I’m not sure I would have got that depth from just looking at the work. Closes 31 July 2021  

Lovely exhibition at the Stephen Friedman Gallery of new work by Lisa Brice. This was an interesting series of freely drawn paintings of women caught in private moments, often in-between dress and undress. They are all in a bright blue and the press release said Brice uses the paint straight from the tube, creating depth and light and shade with a single colour. The work was hung beautifully in one long line round the gallery at head height. I liked the fact some of the pictures almost appeared to be negative images of others but they were hung apart so your eye just saw them as familiar images. I loved one of a woman putting her knickers on next to small radiator as it caught such a private but everyday moment. I also liked the ones with the figures in a striped dress which often set up contrasting lines with the room around it. Closed on 22 April 2017 Review Telegraph    

Delightful exhibition at the Stephen Friedman Gallery of new work by the sculptor Stephan Balkenhol. I loved the description in the press release that Balkenhol’s focus in is on normality and he aims to present the start of a story, to present you with a figure which you then imagine a life and story for. The first room was dedicated to four small figures on plinths. Each was just about a foot tall but they showed the image and stance of people so delightfully. You felt they were all in a street together but not communicating. Carved from wood you initial view is of highly finished works but when you look closely there are splinters left so the underlying material integral to the object. I also liked his wall sculptures including two lovely portraits, carved and painted from wood. Again they were roughly cut but very real with the carving rather than the pigment giving the shape and light and shade of the face. My favourite was a larger plaque of a man in a green suit...