The Hawai’i show at the British Museum is full of unexpected sights, big and small, but what surprised me most was the revelation that the official flag of Hawaii is dominated by the Union Jack. There it is, looming up in the corner, surrounded by matching stripes of red, white and blue — as British a flag […]
Recent articles
How to understand art — by Waldemar Januszczak
Like all life’s profound pleasures, looking at art is a complex business. More accurately, perhaps, it’s a pleasure with many layers and stages. It’s like making love. Sure, you can have a version where it’s a quick in and out, and that’s it. But for the experienced art lover the real joy is in the […]
Are you ready for Frida Kahlo and Tracey Emin at Tate Modern?
It has been a while — too long — since Tate Modern’s exhibition plans have felt as uplifting as they do for 2026. A few loudly belted-out hurrahs are definitely in order. “The world’s leading gallery of contemporary art” has been in a rut in recent years. The preachy and the dull have recurrently been […]
At last, the Turner prize finds artists with a rare quality — talent
A few will take notice when the winner of the 2023 Turner prize is announced on Tuesday. Most won’t. It’s been many a season since the once fierce Turner battled its way on to the nation’s front pages and forced Britain to take an interest in contemporary art. This year’s version takes place at the […]
Black Venus at Somerset House is riveting
Having read Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, I did not expect the Black Venus show at Somerset House to be an uplifting experience. When it comes to guilt in these sensitive matters, I am the full package: white, middle class, middle-aged (going on old) and, to top it all, an art […]
Zanele Muholi, Tate Modern
Zanele Muholi’s self-portraits are magical
London Grads Now, Saatchi Gallery, London SW3
A lucky few graduates seize the moment — with work that questions nature and identity
Titian exhibition: watch Waldemar Januszczak’s tour of the National Gallery’s masterly show
Titian’s Poesies are united for the first time at the National Gallery, and Waldemar Januszczak is awestruck
Cranach: Artist and Innovator, Compton Verney
Were Lucas Cranach’s paintings of naked ladies there to titillate — or to educate? By Waldemar Januszczak
Gordon Parks, Alison Jacques Gallery; Khadija Saye, 236 Westbourne Grove, London
A resonant photography exhibition focusing on segregation in 1950s America turns the lens on to the everyday cruelties and injuries of racism