A retrospective exhibition featuring the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is currently on display at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, showcasing approximately 200 pieces, including her 2019 installation "The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe".
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/immerse-yourself-in-the-polka-dotted-world-of-yayoi-kusama-at-a-massive-new-retrospective-180985765/Martha Diamond's painting "2" (2000) features a large-scale depiction of buildings in oil on linen, measuring 96 x 48 inches. The artwork is characterized by an interplay between the paint and subject matter, with a focus on volume, surface, atmosphere, and light. This dynamic is evident in Diamond's statement that her art expresses "how the brush works, not my emotion," highlighting her attention to the brush's expressive capabilities.
https://hyperallergic.com/981261/martha-diamond-found-joy-in-paint/The British Museum in London is home to Parmigianino's "Study for a Composition of the Virgin and Christ Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome below", a pen and ink drawing created between 1526-27. The artwork, which measures approximately 10 x 6 1/10 inches, features brown wash heightened with white and red chalk on paper. It is currently part of an exhibition at the National Gallery in London's Trafalgar Square that will run through March 9, 2025.
https://hyperallergic.com/972677/the-visions-of-parmigianino/A memorial sculpture to commemorate the West Africa Squadron, which freed over 150,000 enslaved people between 1807 and 1867, has been completed by sculptor Vincent Gray. The squadron was based in Portsmouth, where the city council has declined to host the statue due to concerns that it would be a "glorious but neglected part of Britain's history" being commemorated at the expense of other stories. Despite initial plans for the sculpture to be placed in Gunwharf Quays, the owners pulled out after an employee diaspora network objected. The fundraisers have since approached several institutions, including Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and the National Maritime Museum, but were rebuffed. Colin Kemp, who set up the memorial appeal, is now seeking an alternative site for the sculpture as part of a new sea defences project in Portsmouth.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14252629/Memorial-Royal-Navys-ending-slave-trade-home.htmlReggie Burrows Hodges' exhibition "Authorities of Reason" is currently on display at 7351 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles until February 13, 2025. The show features paintings created during the artist's travels through European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris, where he reflected on the connections between historical artworks and contemporary systems of violence. The works are characterized by their finely detailed depictions of everyday moments, often with a focus on the interplay between light and shadow. Hodges' distinctive use of a black ground in his paintings serves to both define and dissolve form and environment, inviting viewers to consider the nuances beneath the surface of his work.
https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/reggie-burrows-hodges-authorities-of-reason-karma-los-angeles/Artist's use of tactile elements in their paintings allows viewers to experience the terrain depicted as if seen through the eyes of migratory birds, providing a deeper understanding of the landscape by incorporating synthetic and natural materials such as resin. This unique approach enables viewers to grasp the topography of the locations portrayed with a sense of three-dimensionality.
https://www.tbsnews.net/splash/epic-journey-migratory-bird-where-wings-meet-canvas-1036161A new art fair called the Santa Monica Post Office is set to take place in downtown Santa Monica, California, next month during Frieze Los Angeles. The event will feature 26 exhibitors and will be held in an Art Deco former post office building located near the main Frieze exhibition.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/01/06/santa-monica-post-office-satellite-fair-frieze-los-angelesBE OPEN Art, an online art gallery founded by humanitarian expert group BE OPEN led by Elena Baturina, is organizing its third consecutive year of the BE OPEN Regional Art competition. The competition aims to support emerging artists whose work best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. In 2025, the BE OPEN community will select artists who best represent a region's artistic tradition to feature in the BE OPEN Art gallery and increase their visibility. The first stage of the third year's program will cover countries in South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. A winner from each region will receive 500 euros, selected by both public vote and a favorite chosen by the founder.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/be-open-art-lanza-la-primera-competicion-regional-de-2025-para-los-artistas-emergentes-del-sur-de-asia-302337857.htmlBE OPEN Art, an online gallery founded by Elena Baturina's humanitarian group BE OPEN, is hosting its third annual BE OPEN Regional Art competition to support emerging artists who represent their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The competition will focus on South Asia for the first time this year, featuring artists from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. A winner will be selected in April and receive a 500 euro prize, as well as the founder's favorite award.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/be-open-art-lance-le-premier-concours-regional-de-2025-pour-soutenir-les-artistes-emergents-dasie-du-sud-302337860.html