Cathy's Art Diary

Interesting display at the Victoria and Albert Museum of contemporary works made in Japanese lacquer. The display explained briefly how lacquer is made but concentrated on how it has been used in this century. The display cases were gently themed but let the beautiful pieces speak for themselves. I think my favourite was this box with a faux zip by Sasaki Gakuto called "Irony". I also loved this box by Suzuki Masaya for its iridescent colours. The display was a lovely opportunity to discover new things. Closes 30 April 2027

A beautiful installation at the Victoria and Albert Museum of sculptures by Bharti Kher shown among their permanent sculpture collection and in the new courtyard at the Exhibition Road entrance. There were three works inside and they blended beautifully with the more familiar works while also standing out and making a statement. I was slightly disappointed to find they were based on body casts rather than being sculpted but they were still striking. The works drew on her South Asian roots and the mythology of that part of the world. I think my favourite was "Ghost" which draped a sari dipped in resin over a classical style figure. I also loved "Warrior with Cloak and Shield" from 2008 partly for mix of a woman with huge antlers yet wearing sandals with a heel. Closes 24 January 2026

Interesting exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum for this biennial award.   I had done a talk on the show so came to it knowing more about the winners than I thought came out in the display. I'm not sure if I was being thick but I could tell who the winner and runner up in each category was but not what the actual category was. The prize winners were represented by original art works and copies of the final work from books, to a promotional animation and a poster. I think my favourite was Baljinder Kaur's children's book "The Sleeper Train" following the story of a little girl travelling overnight though India. I loved the clear narrative and bright colours. Closes 4 October 2026

Fascinating exhibition at the Royal Academy on the 19th century artist Richard Dadd who spent a large part of his life in Bedlam and Broadmore. I knew Dadd from his fairy pictures but the exhibition showed that there was a lot more to his work. I knew he had been in Bedlam and had assumed the fairy works were from that period but many of them were from before when he was painting scenes from Shakespeare. He also travelled widely in the Eastern Mediterranean with his friend Sir Thomas Phillips and here were beautiful sketches from the period which he later developed into paintings. However it was sadly on this period that he began experiencing psychosis and sadly murdered his father thinking he was a devil. He seems to have been well treated and liked by the staff at Bedlam and a number of them seem to have commissioned work from him for themselves or the hospital and he painted portraits of some of them. A large section was devoted to a series of figurative watercolours includ...

Excellent exhibition at the Royal Academy for this annual show of contemporary art. As ever there was a great eclectic mix but I felt there was more figurative and landscape work and less abstracts. In particular we spotted lots of pictures of dogs which of course appealed. I liked the way the architecture pieces were spread throughout but with a concentration in the last room which gave those works more space than usual. I think my favourite works were two I saw early on, screenprints of chandeliers by Clare Woods which on first viewing read like bouquets of flowers. I also loved a fun collage print based on Flaming June with added Sainsbury bags by Anna Grayson entitled "Flaming June the Bag Lady". The show ended in the central octagonal hall which had some brilliant pieces particularly Ryan Gander's   gold mirrors with marble veils hanging over one side and two arresting large portraits by Pauline Olowska. My favourite sculptural work was a pair of silverplate...

Excellent clear and fun online lecture from the British Museum introducing the tapestry and the forthcoming exhibition. Curators Michael Lewis and Sue Brunning led us through ideas about how, why and for whom it was made then Lewis took us through a basic outline of the story. I have since done a more detailed dive with him in another lecture. I have heard him talk before and he makes the story come alive. Brunning then explained how they only had one year to prepare the show when an exhibition of this type would usually take about five. She led us through the structure of the exhibition giving a good idea of what to expect when you go. As an exhibition nerd I found details like the fact the display case is the longest ever made fascinating. I have yet to get to the show as I am currently away but have my two free member trips in the diary for my return and I can’t wait!

Disappointing installation/sculpture outside the Royal Festival Hall by Malak Mattar in response to World Refugee Week. Mattar based the work on her experience of growing up by the sea in Gaza and how its meaning changed from a place of happy childhood memories to a place from which many people cross the sea to find a better life. The work blends these experiences and was made with the collaboration of young people from Greece and Ukraine. I say disappointing as the description, which I read before I saw the work, seemed to imply a larger and more complex piece but in fact the work recreated a pile of children's giant buoyancy aids which was placed on the roof of the temporary summer bar. I realised I had seen it before and dismissed it as a decorative feature. Closes 21 September 2026