What’s On – Art & Design in January

National Portrait Gallery WC2

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

An annual event with 60 portraits on show, having been selected from 6000 entries. The 4 prize winners are particularly good but I also liked the portrait of Charlie Watts by Michael Donald.

Ends Feb 20th

Bridget Riley: From Life

Also at the NPG is a display of life drawings from Bridget Riley’s time at Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art in the early/mid ’50’s. These haven’t been seen before but are a wonderful insight into her early style.

Ends March 20th

Barbican Art Gallery EC1

Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion

Early examples of work by Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamomoto and Issey Miyake from the late 1970’s and tracing developments to the present day.

Numerous films and videos of fashion shows and interviews with the designers and a well designed show.

Ends Feb 6th

Saatchi Gallery SW3

Newspeak-British Art Now Part 2

Another comprehensive show of Charles Saatchi’s collection of art recently produced in Britain. Good to see so many artists using traditional oil and acrylic techniques to produce such varied results. I particularly liked paintings by Robert Fry, Luke Rudolf, Ansel Knut and Dan Perfect and sculpture by Tessa Farmer and Steve Bishop. Ends April 17th

Also at Saatchi is the Richard Wilson 20:50 sump oil installation now in its 3rd Saatchi location. Well worth seeing to experience the smell and the eery rippling reflections.

Tate Modern SE1

Marcel Dzama’s Watercolours and Drawings

Located on Level 3 in Room 8 which is entitled “Dark Humour”.

He’s a Canadian artist, born in 1974, and is showing a series of images which are well described by the title of the room.

Towner Gallery Eastbourne

Tomoaki Suzuki

Life-like 1/3 scale human figures carved in lime wood and handpainted. He works from life models and uses photographs to make collaged composites before starting the carving process. Most of the subjects are young Londoners that he has met whilst living in E. London. The finished pieces are all less than 60cm tall and are all displayed on the floor which forces the viewer to sit or lie down in order to fully appreciate them.

Ends March 6th