Autumn 2021 Exhibitions: Our Top Picks

Aug. 25, 2021

We've paired some of the best current and upcoming exhibitions with some of our Autumn Term courses - draw inspiration from both the contemporary artists of today and the artists of the past.

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Paula Rego The Artist in Her Studio 1993 Leeds Museums and Galleries (Leeds Art Gallery) U.K. / Bridgeman Images © Paula Rego

Paula Rego, Tate Britain, until 24th October

The largest UK retrospective of the artist's work, this exhibition takes you on a journey through her life, drawing attention to the revolutionary way that she represented women, her extraordinarily personal and sociopolitical practice and her ability to draw together the figurative and the imaginative. 

Why not try...

Sustained Poses with Richard Ayodeji Ikhide, Tara Versey & Cherry Pickles | Tuesdays, 9 -30 Nov, Shoreditch studios

Life Drawing: Observation and Imagination with Constanza Dessain & Melissa Kime | 12 Nov - 3 Dec, Shoreditch studios

The Body Clothed with Susan Wilson | Mondays, 27 Sept - 29 Nov, Shoreditch studios


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Dennis and Gnasher, 1993, courtesy of The Beano

Beano: The Art of Breaking the Rules, Somerset House from 21 Oct - 6 March

Celebrating the UK's longest running children's comic, this exhibition explores both the artwork and the history of this  unparalleled pioneer of the comic book medium and a paradigm of British culture.

Why not try...

Graphic Narratives with Sarah Lightman | Tuesdays, 12 Oct - 2 Nov, Shoreditch studios

Drawing Graphic Narratives (evening) with Sarah Lightman | Mondays, 27 Sept - 29 Nov, Online

Graphic Narratives (evening) with Sarah Lightman & Jeeti Singh | Thursdays, 30 Sept - 2 Dec, Shoreditch studios


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David Hockney, No. 241, 23rd April 2020. iPad painting. © David Hockney.

David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020, The Royal Academy, until 26 Sept

During the start of the pandemic in March 2020, David Hockney found himself locked down in Normandy, France where he captured the first signs of the emergence of spring. These hopeful and optimistic works were all 'painted' on his iPad, then printed onto paper.

Why not try...

Plant Time: Slow Drawing with Lindsay Sekulowicz, Rebecca Jewell & Dr Claudia Tobin | Thursdays, 30 Sept - 28 Oct, Online

City Gardens and Greenhouses with Clare Newbolt & Sara Lee Roberts | Tuesdays, 28 Sept - 30 Nov, Out of house

Drawing London's River with Danny Markey, Henry Gibbons Guy & Chris Green | Tuesdays, 28 Sept - 30 Nov, Out of house


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Christ among the Doctors, Albrecht Dürer. Courtesy of Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.

Dürer’s Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist, National Gallery, 20 Nov - 27 Feb

The first major UK exhibition of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer in nearly 20 years. From prints to paintings, drawings and letters, the exhibition follows Dürer’s travels across Europe, bringing to life the artist himself, and the people and places he visited.

Why not try...

Drawing into Etching with Jeanette Barnes, Jake Garfield & Kathryn Maple | Thursdays, 30 Sept - 2 Dec, Shoreditch studios, print room and Out of House

Drawing from the National Gallery with Thomas Newbolt, Sarah Pickstone & Antje Southern | Thursdays, 2 - 30 November, Online

Local Landscapes: People and Places with Mark Cazalet, Chris Green & Jeanette Barnes | Thursdays, 30 Sept - 2 Dec, Out of house

The Drawn Print with Sam Marshall & Perienne Christian | Wednesdays, 29 Sept - 27 Oct or 3 Nov - 1 Dec, Online


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Malala Andrialavidrazana, Figures 1852, River Systems of the World, 2018, copyright Malala Andrialavidrazana

We Are History, Somerset House, 16 Oct - 6 Feb

We Are History is a group exhibition curated by writer Ekow Eshun and showcasing artists including Alberta Whittle, Allora & Calzadilla, Zineb Sedira and Malala Andrialavidrazana. It offers a different perspective on humanity's impact on the planet by tracing the complex interrelations between today’s climate crisis and legacies of colonialism.

Why not try...

Dystopias and Utopias: Remaking the Future through Drawing with Emily Haworth-Booth, Laura Footes & Max Naylor | Mondays, 27 Sept - 25 Oct, Online

World Imagery: Drawing from Art, Drawing from Life with Richard Ayodeji Ikhide & Jake Garfield | Thursdays, 14 Oct - 2 Dec, Shoreditch studios

World Imagery in Art with Constanza Dessain & Antje Southern | Tuesdays, 28th September - 26 October, Online

Global Museums of the Past and Future with Nicola Durvasula, Rosie Vohra & Antje Southern | Thursdays, 30th Sept - 28 Oct, Online



See all Studio-based, Online and Out of house courses in our Autumn Term programme.

Courses begin on 27 September 2021.