London Art Guide May 2026.
- Rebecca Lethbridge
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
As we approach the middle of May 2026, it’s time to discover what exciting art exhibitions are on offer as we approach Summer. From Katharina Groose and Rafal Topolewski to Tracey Emin, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Why not plan an inspiring day out in London with friends and family, exploring both famous galleries and smaller galleries to experience these remarkable artists’ work?
Serpentine South Gallery: Cecily Brown: Picture Making (Until 6th September 2026).
First up is the Cecily Brown: Picture Making exhibition. Brown is known for her expressive brushwork, bold colour and dynamic compositions. Her paintings are often inspired by Serpentine’s unique location in Kensington Gardens which is special to her, and her work often explores the theme of nature and park life. The exhibition contains work from 2001 as well as work specifically made for this exhibition[i].
White Cube: Katharina Groose: I Set Out, I Walked Fast (Until 31st May 2026).
Bringing together new and archival works alongside a large-scale, site-specific installation, ‘I Set Out, I Walked Fast’ is the first major UK exhibition to fully show the range and scale of Grosse’s practice. Groose mainly uses acrylic paint and industrial spray guns to create marks that represent the movement of her body. In some of Groose’s work colour flows freely between architecture, canvas and the ground as she explores painting as a way of combining artist, site and viewer[ii].
Tate Modern: Tracey Emin: A Second Life (Until 31st August 2026).
Dame Tracey Emin is considered a key contemporary artist of her generation who became well known in the 1990s, when she created work such as ‘My Bed’ (1998) which was nominated for the Turner Prize. This work created major critical and public debate, with people questioning and challenging what is considered art. This exhibition celebrates her work that connect to themes of love, trauma, and autobiography, as well as her lifelong commitment to painting[iii].
White Cube: Shao Fan: Refrain (22nd May – 27th June 2026).
This exhibition is the first UK exhibition for Shao Fan who is based in Beijing (also known as Yu Han) and was born in 1964. Fan’s work focuses on a connection to traditional Chinese culture, whilst also exploring parts of Western art history. Fan also explores the ‘interconnectedness of humanity and nature’[iv].
Alma Pearl: Unyimeabasi Udoh: No Vehicles (21st May – 4th July 2026).
Next up we have the Unyimeabasi Udoh: No Vehicles exhibition which is a solo exhibition showcasing the work of Unyimeabasi Udoh who is a London based Nigerian American artist, who was born in 1996. Udoh is an artist who explores signs and symbols in contemporary art, using a variety of materials and media. This exhibition includes a collection of wall-based sculptures which have been created using road infrastructure, for example aluminium and retroreflective glass. One series of work is ‘Diversions’ which is a series of screenprints that were inspired by photographs of London advertising billboards and hoardings.
The wall signs, made with wax, pigment, and reflective beads, change with light and movement—appearing bright, dull, or empty. Their shifting surfaces make them hard to read, showing that symbols can have many meanings. Instead of guiding, they raise questions about space and visibility.
This exhibition is open Thursday-Saturday 12-6pm and by appointment[v].
ATLAS Gallery: Legacy of Light: 200 Years of Photography (Until 30th May 2026).
This exhibition celebrates 200 years since the start of photography. The most recognised first permanent photograph was taken by Joseph Nicéphore in 1826 titled ‘View from the Window at Le Gras’. This photograph changed the way our world can be remembered and recorded. ‘Legacy of Light: 200 Years of Photography’ showcases photographs from artists throughout the past 200 years, exploring photographs from 200 years ago all the way to contemporary photography today.
You can see this exhibition Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 11am-5pm[vi].
Alice Amati: Abigail Dudley: A place after a place (Until 30th May 2026).
Abigail Dudley is an American artist who was born in 1996 in New Jersey, and this is her first solo exhibition at the Alice Amati gallery. This exhibition is accompanied by a commissioned essay by Matthew James Holman who is a London-based writer. Extract from Matthew James Holman’s commissioned essay: “Dudley works with oil ground and oil paint, sometimes incorporating cold wax, before using rags to wipe back the textured surface, lifting away built-up layers from earlier interventions. The effect of this reworking is to leave each image suspended between emergence and erasure, as though what we are seeing has only just come into view and is already on the verge of slipping back into the ground from which it was made”.
This exhibition is available to see Wednesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 12-5pm[vii].
Alice Amati: Rafal Topolewski: Dusk (5th June – 11th July 2026).
‘Dusk’ is the second solo exhibition at the Alice Amati gallery for Polish artist Rafal Topolewski who was born in 1983. This solo exhibition is also accompanied by a commissioned essay by Saša Bogojev who is a writer and curator. The following is a snippet from Bogojev’s essay about Topolewski: “His practice revolves around conveying a liminal mental state, known as hypnagogia. Occurring during the transition from wakefulness to sleep, this semi-hallucinogenic space is inherently inconceivable, and one can only hope to merely invite recognition. Therefore, any effort to articulate its contents inevitably turns the consciousness into an "unreliable narrator.” Similarly, it must be a daunting task having to depict the slippery position between reality and dream, awareness and unawareness, recognition and confusion. It must be frustrating to try to hold onto the ideas and visions that keep evaporating into the void of our understanding”.
This exhibition will be open Wednesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 12-5pm[viii].
Alison Jacques: Roy Oxlade (Until 30th May 2026).
Roy Oxlade is often seen as an “artist’s artist,” known for his influence as a teacher, writer, and painter. Linked to the post-Bomberg tradition in British figurative painting, he challenged the usual rules of modern art. His work developed a unique style focused on structure, energy, and intuitive marks. Hard to classify, it mixes experimentation with a deep interest in how art is made and seen. In 2014, The Guardian called him one of the most impressive British painters of the past 50 years.
This exhibition is open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-6pm[ix].
Ames Yavuz: Brook Andrew: Symbolic Nature.
‘Symbolic Nature’ explores how images, objects, and cultural symbols build meaning over time, and how those meanings can shift or break down. Using collage, sculpture, and experimental mark-making, Andrew reuses historical images of Aboriginal people from his Wiradjuri Nation and nearby Nations. He places them in layered compositions that question how true or lasting these representations are. Instead of simply repeating them, he changes and reimagines them through new symbolic elements.
This exhibition is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm[x].
Annely Juda Fine Art: Alan Charlton.
Alan Charlton has made grey monochrome paintings for over 50 years, using strict measurements based on multiples of 4.5 cm. His work explores the relationship between painting and architecture. He chose grey for its neutrality, encouraging a direct, unemotional response.
Through repetition, he has developed new forms, including trapezium shapes and more recent circular works, which highlight the surface and edges of the canvas.
This exhibition is open Tuesday-Friday 10am-5:30pm and Saturday 11am-5pm[xi].
References:
[i] Serpentine Galleries. “Cecily Brown: Picture Making | Exhibition | Serpentine Galleries,” March 27, 2026. https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/cecily-brown-picture-making/.
[ii] White Cube. “Katharina Grosse, Bermondsey (2026) | White Cube,” April 21, 2026. https://www.whitecube.com/gallery-exhibitions/katharina-grosse-bermondsey-2026.
[iii] Tate. “Tracey Emin | Tate Modern,” n.d. https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/tracey-emin.
[iv] White Cube. “Shao Fan, Mason’s Yard (2026) | White Cube,” April 22, 2026. https://www.whitecube.com/gallery-exhibitions/shao-fan-masons-yard-2026.
[v] GalleriesNow.net. “Unyimeabasi Udoh: No Vehicles - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/unyimeabasi-udoh-no-vehicles/.
[vi] GalleriesNow.net. “Legacy of Light: 200 Years of Photography - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/legacy-of-light-200-years-of-photography/.
[vii] GalleriesNow.net. “Abigail Dudley: A Place After a Place - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/abigail-dudley/.
[viii] GalleriesNow.net. “Rafal Topolewski: Dusk - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/rafal-topolewski-2/.
[ix] GalleriesNow.net. “Roy Oxlade - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/roy-oxlade-3/.
[x] GalleriesNow.net. “Brook Andrew: Symbolic Nature - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/brook-andrew-symbolic-nature/.
[xi] GalleriesNow.net. “Alan Charlton - Show | GalleriesNow,” n.d. https://www.galleriesnow.net/shows/alan-charlton-3/.
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