Mixing It Up : Painting Today Review
When: Until 12 December 2021
Where: Hayward Gallery
Price: £12

Image: Patrice Antwi
The anticipation of this exhibition really lived up to expectations. Stunning paintings of 31 artists whose work entrance, transfix and challenge us as viewers. Mixing It Up celebrates paintings that championing diversity, music, design and photography and fashion. Names like Lubaina Himid, Lisa Brice and Lydia Bakley are a few of the striking paintings that cover the white walls of the Hayward Gallery. All women artist ranging in age and ethnicity and race
The first striking painting to catch our eye is Brice’s tripe portrait of Torp, painting in hazy monotones, literally raises her up, enlarging upon her gifts, her self-knowledge and struggle, which also embodies the sensual worlds of empowered female bodies.
Walking around the Hayward gallery the exhibition really embodies the title ‘Mixing it up’ there is such a range a paintings, mixed media, little and large canvases displayed throughout. the Hayward’s giving a huge amount of space to artists most people have never heard of, and that makes the whole show feel seriously special.
Another fascinating painting to grab your attention as a viewer is Lydia Blakley’s paintings which always capture the British culture so well. This intertwined with different culture pieces really give a sense of unity.
But you’re not meant to come out of a big painting survey show thinking everything here is brilliant, you’re meant to walk away feeling reassured that painting is alive. And when you leave ‘Mixing It Up’, you’ll know for absolute certain that painting’s not just alive, it’s as essential as it’s ever been.
Words by Patrice Antwi
Frieze London 2025 returns to Regent’s Park with a dynamic mix of emerging and established galleries, reaffirming the city’s creative pulse. Highlights include Esther Schipper’s dreamlike works by Sarah Buckner, Gagosian’s vibrant installation by Lauren Halsey, and Pace’s meditative paintings by William Monk. From Do Ho Suh’s ethereal fabric architectures at Lehmann Maupin…
Paris launches into its own spectacular celebration of art each October, transforming the city into a hub for collectors, curators, and cultural enthusiasts. From the grandeur of Art Basel Paris at the newly renovated Grand Palais to the focused energy of Paris Internationale, OFFSCREEN, AKAA and Menart, each fair contributes something unique to the city’s vibrant art scene.
British Ceramics Biennial is back and better than ever. Running until 19 October 2025, the dynamic programme of free exhibitions, screenings, talks and events is proving a hit with both locals and critics…and just an hour and a half’s train away from London, it’s well worth a day trip…
Echoes of Migration is the flagship summit to launch new not-for-profit platform Art Voyage this autumn. Echoes of Migration officially inaugurates Art Voyage’s innovative, itinerant cultural programme…and gears us up for what is in store for the Art Voyage Biennial….
Betty Ogundipe (b. 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist of Nigerian heritage whose work explores resilience, femininity, and the power of love and resistance. Her debut solo exhibition, LOVE/FIGHT at Tache Gallery…
The V&A’s Marie Antoinette Style, sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, is being hailed as the first landmark exhibition in the UK devoted to France’s most infamous Queen of Fashion. It is a glittering journey through silk, flamboyance and legacy….
Malta is fast becoming one of the Mediterranean’s hottest destinations, offering sun-soaked beaches into October, a thriving arts and culture scene, and stunning architecture and landscapes…
This October in London offers everything from Frieze and the BFI Film Festival to Peggy Gou, the London Literature Festival, and Halloween at Kew.
Discover the best restaurants in Malta, where to eat, drink and enjoy authentic Maltese food and Michelin-star dining…
From The Phoenicia Hotel and Iniala Harbour House, Valletta showcases some of Malta’s finest hotels, ranging from landmark luxury where royalty once danced to boutique hideaways filled with Maltese art…