Celebrate the work of artist Anne Desmet at this exhibition inspired by "climate crisis, escape, and possible new worlds".
From 12 April 2024 to 12 January 2025, discover a fresh perspective on London, its architecture and geography at this forthcoming major exhibition that celebrates the work of multi-award-winning wood engraver Anne Desmet RA.
Explore 150 artworks, including 41 London-themed prints created exclusively for this new exhibition and a selection of tools and engraved wood blocks, spanning over three decades of Desmet’s documentation of London through the mediums of wood engraving and mixed-media printed collage.
Desmet’s prints create a unique dialogue between time and change, depicting the evolution of urban landscapes - from ancient Rome and Pompeii to London. One of the stand-out art works not to be missed will be a complex collage, ‘Fires of London’, created using 18 razor-clam shells to present a theme of the many historic fires of London over the last 1,500 years.
A deeply personal and endlessly imaginative show, Desmet has spoken candidly about her inspiration for the new work, pointing to “wild scattergun thoughts running through my mind” while undergoing treatment for cancer two years ago and looking at a fragmented view of the world through a toy kaleidoscope.
The exhibition has been curated by Anne Desmet and Head of Guildhall Art Gallery, Elizabeth Scott. 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' is the first solo exhibition led by a female artist at Guildhall Art Gallery and will be one of two solely female exhibitions in 2024, with Evelyn De Morgan: Pioneering Artist in Victorian London opening in November.
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Guildhall Yard, London, Greater London, EC2V 5AE
020 7332 3700
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Monday - Sunday (10am – 5:00pm, last entry 4:45pm).
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Closed 25, 26 Dec, 1 Jan (and occasionally for special City/State events - please check the Guildhall Art Gallery website)
Refurbishments
A new curatorial selection is hanging in the Undercroft Gallery, representing London and Londoners. Take a colourful journey into the City’s past, covering dramatic events like the Great Fire of London to everyday street scenes.
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