Here we go again then, on with another Five Art Things thing, on we go and never mind the bliss or the selfies in front of the art or whatever we said last time. Five art things, five more art things happening somewhere around right now (or any moment now). Five art shows to check out in the coming days as we repeat ourselves. We do aim to make this an (almost) weekly round up of recommended art events, five shows, exhibitions or things we rather think might be worth checking out. Mostly London things for that is where we currently operate and explore, and like we said last time, these five recommendations come with no claims that they are “the best five” or the “Top Five”, we’re not one of those annoying art websites that ignore most things whilst claiming to be covering everything and proclaiming this or that to be the “top seven things” or the “best things this weekend”. This Five Things thing is simply a regular list of five or so recommended art things happening now or coming up very soon that we think you might find as interesting as we think we will…

And we should add, that entry to these recommended exhibitions and events, unless otherwise stated, is free

1: Zemba Luzamba, Angalia Kwa Karibu (Look Close) at Kristin Hjellegjerde, London Bermondsey – 1st May until 31st May 2025 – This one looks rather good; “A line of men wearing hats, colourful jackets and brogues stand in a line with their hands clasped or tucked into their trouser pockets. Though they are not touching, we sense in the subtle mirroring of their body language that they belong to a common group, that they are brothers and will stand together whatever happens. This is one in a series of new paintings by the Congolese artist Zemba Luzamba that make up his solo exhibition Angalia Kwa Karibu (Look close) at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Tower Bridge and that invite us to find meaning and emotion in gestures, clothing and facial expressions. Through carefully constructed scenes, Luzamba examines contemporary forms of self-expression, community and resistance.

Luzamba begins by sketching out his ideas before selecting compositions to paint based on the ways in which they interact with one another to ‘facilitate a particular dialogue’ which for this latest exhibition centered around a feeling of ‘now: the present moment.’ This idea of nowness may appear to be somewhat complicated by the appearance of his figures who are dressed in retro-looking formalwear, but tis mode of dress is specific to the culture that Luzamba is painting as well as to the ideas that he is trying to express.

In the 1960s and 70s a Congolese subculture known as SAPE (the Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes) emerged in response to President Mobutu’s banning of Western-style style suits in favour of the abacost, a lightweight suit which was traditionally worn without a tie. The abacost was seen as the uniform of Mobutu’s supporters, especially those who had benefited from his regime. As such, the wearing of a suit and tie became a symbol of resistance and freedom, and today, it still retains that association for many Congolese people. In this exhibition, the distinctive clothing is paired with the use of Swahili, Luzamba’s native tongue, to title the paintings and further imbue the works with cultural specificity. For instance, the painting in which the men are standing in a line is titled Bakolo tirran, an idiomatic expression that refers to people who have gained a sense of authority and ownership within their neighbourhood through having lived in the community for a long time even though they may not own the land which they inhabit.

Mulambo (black tax 2) refers to the financial burden placed on successful Black individuals who are expected to support family members as a way of paying them back for the care and education they received in childhood. This ‘tax’, though less common now, is often seen as a cultural obligation. In Luzamba’s painting, a hand reaches to pinch a dollar bill from the pocket of a man who gazes out at the viewer with an inscrutable expression. Meanwhile, Mkimbizi (asylum seeker) depicts a man hurrying along the pavement, arms laden with suitcases. This man is what Luzamba refers to as ‘a modern asylum seeker’, someone who has fled their home country not due to conflict or loss, but in order to dodge taxes and accumulate more wealth. In both of these works, as throughout the series, Luzamba passes no judgment, leaving the viewer free to make up their own interpretations.

Elsewhere, in paintings such as Maisha mpya (new life) and Mwanzo mpya, Luzamba explores the sense of hope that can be found in everyday new beginnings: an egg stands as a traditional symbol of origin and birth, its golden shell suggesting wealth and magic, while the cutting of a rope invokes the ceremonial practice of inauguration. InPamoja na furah (togetherness)a group of men gather in a circle to drink whiskey as a ritual of celebration, their matching black suits evoking a sense of occasion while again expressing solidarity and community.

These are all scenes that capture moments from contemporary life and within a particular cultural context, but the message they convey is universal: human spirit is defined by resilience, hope and resourcefulness. Whatever the time or the circumstance, we must and will continue to find ways to carve out our own paths and to come together”.

Kristin Hjellegjerde / London Bermondsey is at 36 Tanner Street, Bermondsey, London, SE1 3LD (don’t mix it up with their other London space). The Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 11am until 6pm.

2: The Four Elements at hARTslane – Cristina Calvache, Hugh Mendes, Louise Reynolds and Harry Pye exhibit new paintings, prints and drawings, 2nd May until 4th May 2025 with an opening on the evening 2nd May, 5pm until 8pm.

The Four Elements explores how contrasting individual parts can form a harmonious and greater whole. Inspired by the idea of element as ‘force’, each artist weaves its own narrative in a collective synergy. Cristina Calvache, Hugh Mendes, Harry Pye, and Louise Reynolds, all have a strong link to South London and are delighted to be exhibiting at hARTtslane where artists and local people come together to share ideas, explore contemporary issues and be inspired.

hARTslane is at 17 Harts Lane, London, SE14 5UP. Fri 2nd May: 17:00 – 20:00, Sat 3rd May: 11:00 – 18:00, Sun 4th May: 12:00 – 17:00

3: Sweet Toof – Back On Track at Images In Frames – The show opens on Thursday 1st May 2025 at 6:00pm until 8:30pm and then A solo show from @thesweettoof at Images In Frames, As is often the case with these things, the publicity is all about the opening night and “An exhibition marking the return of anonymous street artist Sweet Toof. Original art and limited edition prints for sale, drinks & live DJ”. Who knows how long the show is on for? No one seems to want to say and hey, there’s Red issues this Thursday evening so watch this space see if the gallery gets back and tell us how long the show is on for, I good few days if not weeks I should think… Anyway, always good to see a bit of Sweet Toof whatever he might think of the things that go on around here. There is of course years of Sweet Toof documentation here via our various platforms…

“Known for his distinctive teeth and gum motifs, Sweet Toof’s work blends graffiti with dark humour and surrealism, transforming ordinary spaces into something unexpected.

“Sweet Toof’s style is instantly recognisable – skeletal figures, fleshy gums, and gold teeth appearing in the most unlikely places. His work moves fluidly between the street and the gallery, always retaining its raw, rebellious edge. Back on Track reflects a return to familiar ground, capturing the energy and irreverence that have made Sweet Toof a defining voice in contemporary street art…”

Images In Frames Gallery is at 51 Wood St, Walthamstow, London, E17 3JX. The space is open Monday – Friday Opening Hours: 9:30am – 5:30pm. Stop press: The show is on for two weeks.

4: Philip Michael Martin, Words And Pictures at JM Gallery, London W11 – 1st May until 13rd May 2025 – “Philip Michael Martin returns to the J/M following the success of his last two shows. This time around he is showcasing new work in an exhibition he’s calling ‘WORDS AND PICTURES’. In this exhibition he presents a whole new set of paintings that combine the written word with his usual brand of bold, colourful and richly textured images. Phil has always been fascinated by words and how they can alter the perception of an image. After many years working in advertising that’s perhaps unsurprising. But he’s also always been a big admirer of the work of the likes of Ed Rocha, Basquiat and Julian Schnabel.

In this show Phil uses snatches of overheard conversations, film dialogue, song lyrics, industrial safety instructions and random word collisions to enhance, confuse, mis-direct and occasionally explain what might be happening in a painting. It’s all up for grabs. As always, the meaning in his paintings is up to the viewer to decide. Originally from Sheffield and now a London resident of 35 years, Phil spent a multi-award-winning career as an art director, copywriter and creative director in advertising before returning to his first love — painting — three years ago. His work now sells internationally to private collectors, hotels, restaurants and design-led businesses.

“I sometimes start off with a complete idea of what the finished painting will look like, but most often the starting point might be a photograph I’ve seen or taken, or a random image, or a subject or a place that I think might be interesting as a part of a painting rather than the whole thing.” Philip Michael Martin

JM Gallery is at 230 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ. The gallery is open from 11am until 6pm for every day of the show that runs from 1st May until 13rd May 2025

5: Katy Moran, Let’s get some AIR! at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery – 2nd May until 31st May 2025 with an opening night on May 1At, 6pm until 8pm  – “Pippy Houldsworth Gallery is delighted to announce representation of British artist Katy Moran, whose first solo exhibition with the gallery Let’s get some AIR will open on 2 May 2025. The exhibition represents a shift in Moran’s practice, which has undergone striking developments in scale and technique since her last solo presentation in London. On Wednesday 14 May at 6 pm, Moran will be in conversation at the gallery with writer and broadcaster, Ben Luke.

Known for her compelling abstractions that explore form, colour and surface, Moran enlists a spectrum of mark-making in the expression of different atmospheres. While some of her paintings suggest traditional land or seascapes and conjure figurative associations, they are essentially records of the intangible and are deliberately engaged in sensation, as opposed to representation. Much of Moran’s inspiration comes from her transcendental meditation practice and ideas for paintings are incubated during these sessions. This connection with her unconscious allows for an intuitive approach that prioritises the autonomy of paint as medium. The incident of coincidence in dialogue with the artist’s hand guides the development of each of Moran’s paintings, which employ experimental methods in their facture, from drips and pours, to body painting. By allowing the nature of paint to inform the painting process, Moran is antithetically liberated from the bonds of materiality.

Moran’s paintings are by nature dichotomous, bringing together opposing forces in a single composition: fullness and space, simplicity and complexity, control and abandon. Where the ready made has previously played a central role in her work, the artist has recently set aside the found, framed paintings she used as supports in favour of larger canvases that allow her to work at scale. A sense of artistic freedom characterises these new paintings, which unite the raw, fresh energy of splattered paint with thickets of dense mark making, and translucent washes of colour. In Indigo Moon Moran uses a squeegee to propel swathes of inky paint across the canvas, the diluted pigment revealing a palimpsest of sensuous purple spectra interacting with marbled pools of ochre that hasten across the upper quadrant of the composition. Moran’s palette subliminally chimes with the changing seasons, as seen in the vertiginous casajmg, which was executed over the colder months and sees icy blue and white rivulets of paint cascade down the canvas. This sense of the elemental defines Moran’s practice, which ultimately unites a profound affinity with the natural world with a commitment to abstraction and painting as object.

Katy Moran (b. 1975, Manchester) lives and works in Hertfordshire. She completed an MA Fine Art in painting at the Royal College of Art, London in 2005. Moran’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Parasol Unit for Contemporary Art, London (2015); Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (2013); Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH (2010); Tate St. Ives (2009); and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (2008). Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at Tate St. Ives (2018); Aspen Art Museum, CO (2015); Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN (2013); SFMOMA, CA (2012); and Tate Britain, London (2008). Her work is housed in important public and private collections including Arts Council Collection, London; David Roberts Art Foundation; Government Art Collection, London; The Rachofsky Collection, Dallas; Royal College of Art, London; Tate, London; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT; and Zabludowicz Collection, London. Moran is also represented by Sperone Westwater Gallery, New York.

Pippy Houldsworth Gallery is at 6 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BT.  The gallery is open to Tuesday to Saturday, 10am until 6pm (11am on Saturdays)

Previously…

24th April 2025 – ORGAN: Five Recommended Art Shows – Blink’s Room Share 7 at Peckham Safehouse, Ripley Fletcher at Filet, Penge Rooftop Gallery viewing days, Agriel Ness at A Mini Bar in Hackney, Derek Boshier and the Sixties at Gazelli Art House and Steven Appleby’s Dragman as well….

17th April 2025 – ORGAN: Five Recommended Art Shows – Jai Chuhan at The Approach, A Gesture, An Action, Touching at APT Gallery, Future Ritual: Ceremony, a festival of performance at Copeland Gallery, In Black and White at Tower Gallery, Rita Says and the Jerico Orchestra at The Horse Hospital and…

And the latest on line Mixtape exhibition is still open via the link you just passed…