Art exhibitions opening in London in July 2025
London’s art scene is in full swing this July, with exhibitions across the city offering fresh perspectives on culture, identity, history, and the environment. At Tate Modern, the much-anticipated solo show of Emily Kam Kngwarray opens mid-month, spotlighting one of the most significant Indigenous artists of the 20th century in her first major European presentation. Meanwhile, akâmi- at Camden Art Centre brings together Duane Linklater with collaborators across generations, including his son Tobias, and his grandmother Ethel (Trapper) Linklater, in a wide-ranging exhibition that considers Indigenous presence and cultural continuity. At the Design Museum, More than Human challenges conventional design thinking in an era of ecological urgency, asking how we might create with, rather than simply for, the planet. With shows ranging from historical military art to queer talismans, pop protest, and the power of drawing, here is our guide to the art exhibitions to see in London in July 2025.
akâmi-
Duane Linklater, Ethel (Trapper) Linklater, Tobias Linklater and Grey Plumes
Duane Linklater with Ethel (Trapper) Linklater and Tobias Linklater, Speculative apparatus for the work of nohkompan and nikosis, 2016. Installation view, From Our Hands, Mercer Union, Toronto, 8 December 2016 – 18 February 2017. Courtesy Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver. Photo: Toni Hafkenscheid.
#FLODown: Camden Art Centre, in partnership with New Curators, presents akâmi, the first major UK institutional exhibition by Duane Linklater, an Omaskêko Ininiwak multimedia artist based in North Bay, Ontario. Curated by the 2024–25 New Curators fellows, the exhibition brings together recent and newly commissioned works that address the complexities of Indigenous presence, cultural continuity, and institutional responsibility. It includes a collaborative ceramic installation with Sugpiaq artist and choreographer Tanya Lukin Linklater, working under the name Grey Plumes, as well as a painting series, a sculptural sound piece, and an installation recently acquired by Tate but never before shown in the UK. This installation features a video by Linklater’s son Tobias and handcrafted items made by his grandmother Ethel (Trapper) Linklater, on loan from the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Together, these works reflect on intergenerational knowledge, collective authorship, and the shifting boundaries between fine art and craft. The title akâmi, meaning “across” in Omaskêko Cree, evokes layered ideas of time, movement, and connection, offering a space where past, present, and future converge through Indigenous experience.
Date: 3 July - 21 September 2025. Location: Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. camdenartcentre.org
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Emily Kam Kngwarray near Mparntwe, Alice Springs in 1980. © Toly Sawenko.
#FLODown: Tate Modern will host Europe’s first major solo exhibition of Emily Kam Kngwarray, a senior Anmatyerr woman and one of the most significant figures in international contemporary art. Born around 1914 in the Northern Territory of Australia, Kngwarray began painting in her seventies, transforming her deep ceremonial and spiritual connection to her ancestral Country, Alhalker, into a bold and distinctive visual language. Organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, the exhibition will bring together over 70 works spanning her brief but prolific career—many being shown outside Australia for the first time. From early batik textiles to monumental acrylic paintings such as Emu Woman (1988) and The Alhalker Suite (1993), the display traces her evolving style and profound cultural expression. Late works including Untitled (awely) (1994) and Yam awely (1995) reveal her mastery of gesture, colour, and sacred symbolism.
Date: 10 July 2025 – 11 January 2026. Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Price: £20 (concessions available); under-12s free with a paying adult; Tate members free. Book now
More than Human
RUMITA, 2024, photography by Federico Borella and Michela Balboni.
#FLODown: More than Human is a landmark exhibition at the Design Museum that explores a transformative approach to design, one that centres collaboration with the living world rather than human dominance over it. The show features over 140 works by more than 50 international artists, designers, and architects, including four major new commissions. From seaweed sculptures and habitats for marine life to a tapestry created from the perspective of a pollinating insect, the exhibition presents a wide spectrum of responses to environmental and ecological crises. Organised in partnership with the Design Museum’s national research programme Future Observatory, the exhibition is structured into three sections, Being Landscape, Making with the World, and Shifting Perspective, which together challenge visitors to rethink how we design with, and not just for, the planet.
Date: 11 July – 5 October 2025. Location: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG. Price: from £14.38. Concessions available.Book now
Ben Sakoguchi: Critical Art Theory
Ben Sakoguchi, Critical Art Theory: Eurocentric Hegemony (one million B.C - 21st century A.D) (#48) "BAD B*TCHES OF THE BAROQUE", 2023. Acrylic on board, maple frame. Courtesy the artist.
#FLODown: The first institutional solo exhibition in Europe by Japanese American artist Ben Sakoguchi showcases a new series of paintings titled Critical Art Theory. Known for his bold, Pop-influenced style that blends figuration and historical critique, Sakoguchi reflects on the art history he encountered as a student at UCLA in the late 1950s. The works examine the roles religion, monarchy, and capitalism have played in shaping artistic developments across centuries, offering a sharp commentary on Western cultural narratives.
Date: 10 July – 7 September 2025. Location: Gasworks, 155 Vauxhall Street, London SE11 5RH. Price: Free. gasworks.org.uk
Sculpture in the City 2025
© Ai Weiwei Studio. Courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio, Lisson Gallery and neugerriemschneider, Berlin.
#FLODown: Sculpture in the City returns for its 14th edition in 2025, transforming the City of London into an open-air gallery with striking new works by internationally renowned artists Ai Weiwei, Andrew Sabin, and Jane and Louise Wilson. Curated in partnership with the City of London Corporation and cultural studio LACUNA, this year’s edition continues the programme’s legacy of placing world-class contemporary sculpture within the Square Mile’s historic and modern architecture. Ai Weiwei’s Roots: Palace, a cast-iron sculpture created using traditional techniques in collaboration with Brazilian artisans, reflects on ideas of exile and displacement. Jane and Louise Wilson’s Dendrophiles draws on London’s ancient history and technological development, incorporating DNA imagery and archaeological wood samples beneath The Leadenhall Building. Andrew Sabin’s Looping Loop, a colourful, textural sculpture formed from margarine-based moulds, animates the space outside 70 St Mary Axe. These new works join existing pieces from previous editions and two permanent acquisitions, contributing to the evolving presence of public art in the City.
Date: 16 July 2025 onward. Location: City of London (various outdoor sites including St Botolph without Bishopsgate, The Leadenhall Building, and 70 St Mary Axe). Price: Free. sculptureinthecity.org.uk
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025
Inset Day, 2025 by Yvadney Davis © Yvadney Davis
#FLODown: The Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 returns to the National Portrait Gallery as one of the most prestigious platforms for contemporary portraiture. The exhibition features 46 portraits selected from global submissions, showcasing a wide spectrum of artistic approaches, from traditional techniques to bold, contemporary styles. The works reflect the rich creativity and technical skill of the artists. Since its inception, the competition has received over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries and has been seen by over 6 million visitors.
Date: 10 July – 12 October 2025. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE. Price: Free, booking required. Book now
Click here to discover more exhibitions opening at the National Portrait Gallery.
The Power of Drawing: Marking 25 Years of the Royal Drawing School
Tracey Emin, Because you Left - I Held on, 2024. Acrylic on lithographic background, Somerset Velvet Warm White Paper400gsm, 65 x 83.8cm. Courtesy of the artist
#FLODown: To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Royal Drawing School will host a free exhibition highlighting the vital role of drawing across creative disciplines such as fine art, film, architecture, and design. The exhibition will feature drawings and quotes from renowned artists and creatives including Quentin Blake, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Tim Burton, Es Devlin, and His Majesty the King, the School’s Founding Patron, alongside contributions from alumni spanning the past 25 years. As part of the celebrations, a special series of free, live-streamed conversations will take place from September 2025 to June 2026, bringing together artists, alumni, and faculty to explore the significance of drawing in their work.
Date: 1–26 July 2025. Location: Royal Drawing School, Shoreditch, East London, 19–22 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3SG. Price: Free, booking required. Book now
Future of Food
First beef steak grown outside a cow © Science Museum Group.
#FLODown: Future of Food is a free exhibition opening at the Science Museum that explores how science and innovation are transforming what we eat and how it reaches our plates in a rapidly changing world. Featuring over 100 objects from a 3500-year-old loaf of bread to the first Quorn burger McNuggets cricket-based snacks and lab-grown steak it examines the role of biotechnology agroecology and global food traditions in shaping a more sustainable food system. Visitors can explore climate-resilient crops microbial dairy alternatives and cutting-edge food technologies alongside stories from farming communities across the world from the Amazon rainforest to urban rooftops in Singapore. Designed for ages seven and up the exhibition includes interactive digital displays and a multiplayer game that helps visitors understand the environmental and social impact of their everyday food choices.
Date: 24 July 2025 - 4 January 2026. Location: Science Museum Exhibition Road South Kensington London SW7 2DD. Price: Free, booking required. Book now
Hip Hop – Living a Dream
Joseph Rodriguez – Master P in his office on the phone making moves, New Orleans, LA, 1997.
#FLODown: HIP HOP - Living a Dream will be a landmark photography exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, opening on 31 July 2025. It will bring together the work of Jamel Shabazz, Joseph Rodriguez and Gregory Bojorquez, three acclaimed American photographers who have chronicled the rise and global reach of hip hop culture. From the vibrant streets of 1980s New York to the underground scenes of Los Angeles and beyond, the exhibition will explore how hip hop’s fusion of music, fashion, dance and community evolved into a worldwide movement. Shabazz’s iconic portraits reflect the early spirit of the genre, while Rodriguez’s work offers a gritty look at gang life shaped by hip hop’s social commentary. Bojorquez captures the raw energy of the West Coast scene and its stars, including Missy Elliott, Jay Z and Snoop Dogg.
Date: 31 July – 11 September 2025. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Galleries 3 & 4, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4RY. Price: Free, no pre-booking required. Book now
Virtual Beauty
Hyungkoo Lee. Altering Facial Features with WH5 (2010). Courtesy of the artist.
#FLODown: Virtual Beauty, opening at Somerset House, is a thought-provoking exhibition exploring how digital culture and emerging technologies are reshaping traditional definitions of beauty. Featuring works by over 20 international artists, it will examine the impact of artificial intelligence, social media, and virtual identities on self-image through interactive installations and pioneering artworks. Highlights include ORLAN’s Omniprésence and Amalia Ulman’s Excellences & Perfections, alongside AI-generated portraits and explorations of digital self-expression by artists such as Minnie Atairu, Isamaya Ffrench, and Andrew Thomas Huang. Co-curated with HEK (House of Electronic Arts, Basel), Virtual Beauty will challenge visitors to reflect on identity, authenticity, and who holds the power to define beauty in a post-internet world.
Date: 23 July – 21 September 2025. Location: Terrace Rooms, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: Pay What You Can. somersethouse.org.uk
Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs
Experience Japan Pictograms Copyright/ Credit: Nippon Design Center.
#FLODown: Celebrating the precision and beauty of Japanese design, Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs explores how visual symbols shape global communication. From ancient carvings to the pioneering pictograms of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the digital ‘emoji’, the exhibition traces the evolution and global reach of this universal language. Visitors can take part in interactive displays, including building their own symbols and stepping into life-sized pictograms such as a torii gate or sumo wrestler. Highlights include a set of over 600 contemporary pictograms from Japan and new designs created by young people in the UK to represent their vision of London.
Dates: 30 July 2025 – 9 November 2025. Location: Japan House London, London,101–111 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 5SA. Price: Free. japanhouselondon.uk
Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria
Home Again, 1858. Oil on canvas by Henry Nelson O’Neil.
#FLODown: Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria is the National Army Museum’s first dedicated art exhibition in over five years, featuring more than 100 paintings, drawings, miniatures, sketchbooks, and documentary art. It traces the evolution of 19th century war art, from idealised propaganda to frontline reportage. Highlights include Lady Butler’s extensive collection, notably the five metre wide The Capitulation of Kars, shown publicly for the first time in two decades, plus loans from the Royal Collection Trust and the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition is structured around four key themes: Victorian Women, Great Campaigns, Patriotism, Realism and Reportage, illuminating how artists shaped public perception of soldiers and warfare during Queen Victoria’s reign. Entry is free, and the show offers events including BSL tours, sensory tours, workshops, and talks to deepen engagement.
Date: 1 July 2025 – 1 November 2026. Location: National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HT. Price: Free admission (museum entry and exhibition are free) nam.ac.uk
Talisman
Claye Bowler - I Love You - 2023 - Pewter, beach remnants- Dimensions variable - Photo by Claye Bowler.
#FLODown: Talisman is a group exhibition presented by Cardion Arts in partnership with the Museum of Transology, curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley and E-J Scott, exploring the objects, people, and symbols LGBTQIA+ communities turn to for protection and strength. Inspired by the ancient use of talismanic objects, the show invites leading and emerging queer artists from across the UK to create works that embody safeguarding, healing, and resistance. Themes include queer spirituality, the supernatural, bodily sanctity, and collective resilience, with contributions from artists such as Karina Akopyan, Jesse Darling, Lubaina Himid, and Ajamu X, alongside artefacts from the Museum of Transology. This space of sanctuary highlights how art can serve as a vessel for empowerment and shared hope within the queer community.
Date: 4 - 27 July 2025. Location: 185 Bankside, London SE1. Price: Free.
