<h2>ALEXIS PESKINE: FOREST FIGURES<br>
3 October – 9 November 2024</h2>
<h2>ALEXIS PESKINE: FOREST FIGURES<br>
3 October – 9 November 2024</h2>
<h2>Dave Neita presents: Ripples of Revolutionary Poetry <br>
Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024. 6.30 – 9.30 pm</h2>
<h2>
EDDY KAMUANGA ILUNGA: Nature Morte<br>
14 November, 2024 – 25 January, 2025
</h2>
<h2>ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ at the 60th Venice Biennale<br>
20th April – 24th November, 2024</h2>
Photo © Jacopo La Forgia.<h2>ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ at the 60th Venice Biennale<br>
20th April – 24th November, 2024</h2>
Photo © Jacopo La Forgia.<h2>EDDY KAMUANGA ILLUNGA<br>Available from our Book Store, £45.95 + P&P</h2>248 pages, 200 full colour plates throughout. Published by Rizzoli.<h2>DREAM NO SMALL DREAM: The Story of October Gallery<br>Available from our Book Store, £40 + P&P</h2>304 pages, full colour plates throughout. Edited by Gerard Houghton.
 

CURRENT EXHIBITION

3 October – 9 November 2024
Alexis Peskine, Séetal, 2024.
White and black paint, archival varnish,
24k gold leaf and nails on wood, 150 x 111 cm.
Alexis Peskine, Kékéréké, 2024.
White and black paint, archival varnish, 24k gold leaf and nails on wood, 150 x 110 cm.
October Gallery presents Forest Figures, a much-anticipated solo exhibition of new works by Alexis Peskine. This, the artist’s third show at October Gallery, will intersect with the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, taking place at Somerset House, in London, from 10th – 13th October.

Forest Figures delves into the rich, healing powers inherent in ancestral African spirituality; exploring deeper aspects of interiorised abundance and wellbeing found amongst the individual figures he portrays to represent the diversity of the African diaspora. Peskine’s large-scale mixed media ‘portraits’ are rendered by hammering nails of different gauge, with pin-point accuracy, into wooden ‘canvases’. Inspired by Afro-Brazilian spirituality, Peskine draws upon attributes and aspects of the Orishas – or spirits – which act as a conceptual framework underpinning these recent works.

Peskine’s new works show an expansion of his creative process, employing the natural forms of tree trunks, leaf patterns and shells. Some of these works adopt the form and white colour of the cowrie shell – an integral part of the iFá divination ritual – symbolising the prophetic ‘mouth of the Orisha’. Although considered a spiritual object, the cowrie has many historical links to trade and currency. White is also a colour traditionally linked to peace, spiritual cleansing and renewal. Various aspects of Peskine’s sustained investigation of the Black Experience can be seen in his selection of materials and colours: for instance, his use of Indigo pigment is a direct reference to its production by enslaved Caribbean labourers.

Based in Paris, Peskine continues to pursue various artist residencies around the world, most recently in Brazil and Cameroon. His sensitive portraits of the people he meets inform the rich diversity of subjects adorning his sculptural pieces. Peskine’s acute observations of people from many places and all walks of life have led him to the conclusion that today, more than ever, we live in a time that requires us to come together in ‘oneness’.
 

FORTHCOMING EXHIBITION

14 November, 2024 – 25 January, 2025
Energie red (Red Energy - detail), 2024. Acrylic on canvas. 188 cm x 203 cm.
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Energie red (Red Energy), 2024. Acrylic on canvas. 188 cm x 203 cm.
October Gallery presents Nature Morte, a new solo exhibition by Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, one of the most exciting contemporary artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Kamuanga’s fourth solo show at October Gallery, his striking paintings explore the hidden consequences of the toxic waste-matter that is poisoning the environment upon which local Congolese communities are dependent for survival and the basic necessities of life.

This latest series is a masterful blend of storytelling and symbolism, where each canvas helps to develop a shared narrative that uncovers a distinctly modern predicament. The almost surreal drama playing out before our eyes brings DRC’s traumatic history of exploitation by foreign powers right up to the present moment. The artist’s attention has moved beyond the horrific histories of Belgian colonial control to the contemporary situation where the neo-colonial powers have once again asserted control over the lives of ordinary Congolese people. To fulfil the insatiable demands of the computer industry and “green” battery production facilities, international companies are currently engaged in the rapid extraction of the Congo’s rich mineral resources, in particularly cobalt, copper, and coltan.

For many years, disturbing reports of deforestation, land pollution by wastewater spillages, contamination of drinking water and the restriction of local populations’ movements have become increasingly common. The harmful impacts of industrial mining processes on food production, human health and local biodiversity have been well-documented, particularly in Katanga in the Central part of the DRC, to where Kamuanga’s father and mother both trace their origins.

The paintings detail the awful cost in human life that our incessant demands for modern technology impose upon the unseen victims caught up in the consequences of industrial scale mining that takes little account of environmental destruction and human degradation. Burdened by the crushing weight of history, Kamuanga’s iconic figures bear the scars of a nation struggling to navigate the treacherous waters of neo-colonial exploitation, together with the erosion of a cultural heritage incapable of protecting the natural environment that, previously, had nurtured and sustained it.
 

 

NEWS, EVENTS & RECOMMENDATIONS


ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ at the 60th Venice Biennale
20th April – 24th November, 2024
Romuald Hazoumè has been selected as one of the four major artists to represent The Republic of Benin for the 60th edition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Entitled Everything Precious Is Fragile, this exhibition will explore the rich history of Benin, touching on themes such as the slave trade, the Amazon motif, spirituality and the Vodun religion. These themes are tied together by Benin's exploration of African feminism and pay tribute to women's versatility whilst envisioning a world where differences are seen as a source of richness and strength.

Acclaimed worldwide for his masks made from used plastic petrol cans, Romuald Hazoumè is an artist whose work is firmly rooted in Benin's social, political and cultural context and the globalized world.
Photo: © Jonathan Greet, 20016.
AUBREY WILLIAMS at Frieze Masters
Stand S03
9th – 13th October, 2024
October Gallery is delighted to exhibit paintings by Aubrey Williams in a first-time presentation of the artist’s works at Frieze Masters, London. Aubrey Williams' distinctive contribution to 20th century British art was last year recognised, when Tate Britain dedicated a room to works by this master of painterly abstraction, in their rehang of significant examples of British art.
Aubrey Williams, Time & Shadow, 1964.
Oil on canvas, 71 x 114 cm.
October Gallery at 1-54 London
Booth W1
10th – 13th October, 2024
For this year’s edition of 1-54 London, October Gallery will present new works by Zana Masombuka, Alexis Peskine, LR Vandy and Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga. The Gallery’s booth brings together vibrant photography, sculptural works and painting. In addition, Theresa Weber will present a new installation in the West Wing Corridor of Somerset House.
Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Envahissement 2, (Invasion 2), 2024.
Oil and acrylic on canvas, 199 x 188 cm.
EL ANATSUI: AFTER THE RED MOON
Museum of Art Pudong, Shanghai, China
30th September, 2024 – 7th October, 2025
El Anatsui: After the Red Moon has begun its highly anticipated world tour, making a global debut at the prestigious Museum of Art Pudong (MAP), Shanghai, where it will be on display until October 2025. El Anatsui’s cascading metal sculptures have dramatically transformed MAP's entrance lobby and Hall X, offering visitors an immersive experience of his masterful exploration of history, materiality and transformation. This global tour marks a significant milestone in Anatsui's career, and we congratulate him on this extraordinary achievement, which continues to captivate audiences around the world.

This exhibition was originally conceived and commissioned as the Hyundai Commission: El Anatsui: Behind the Red Moon for Tate Modern's Turbine Hall, London in 2023.
Installation view of El Anatsui: After the Red Moon, 2024.
Alessandro Wang ©️ Museum of Art Pudong. Courtesy of the Artist
AUBREY WILLIAMS at Hepworth Wakefield
22nd June – 3rd November, 2024
Hepworth Wakefield's new exhibition, titled Ronald Moody: Sculpting Life, will explore the evolution of Jamaican-born sculptor Ronald Moody's art and will feature over 50 of Moody's works, ranging from large-scale figurative sculptures to his post-war experimental pieces. These works will be contextualised alongside artists with whom Moody exhibited, as well as members of the Caribbean Artists Movement, such as Aubrey Williams, — a revolutionary group of which both Moody and Williams were founding members of.
Govinda Sah 'Azad', Rising Hope, 2023.
Acrylic on canvas, 200 x 140 cm.
Photo: © Mark Blower, 2024.
Dave Neita presents: Ripples of Revolutionary Poetry
Wednesday, 23rd October, 2024
6.30 – 9.30 pm (doors open 6.00 pm)
Join Dave Neita, who will perform a variety of poems that illustrate the power of poetry to enlighten, enchant and emancipate.
Aubrey Williams: Art, Histories, Futures
Available from Friday, 22nd October, 2024
We are delighted to announce that Aubrey Williams: Art, Histories, Futures, the first major monograph on pioneering modernist Aubrey Williams, will be published on 22nd October, 2024.

The book features an extraordinary selection of unpublished and out-of-print writings by Williams, alongside artworks that showcase the full breadth of his practice — from early abstracts and lesser-known murals to his later major works.

The monograph is edited by Ian Dudley and Maridowa Williams, with a foreword by Alex Farquharson, introduction by Kobena Mercer and is published by the Paul Mellon Centre.
GOVINDA SAH ‘AZAD’ at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery
19th October, 2024 – 23rd February, 2025
JMW Turner and changing visions of landscape is a major new exhibition exploring artists' approaches to landscape from the 17th century to the present day.

The exhibition includes works by Govinda Sah ‘Azad’ who first encountered Turner’s art while studying at the College of Fine Art in Kathmandu. Sah’s later move to Margate introduced him to the Kentish coastline, where Turner famously captured its unique light in many of his late works. Today, Sah continues to live and work in Margate.
Govinda Sah 'Azad', Here/Everywhere, 2023.
Oil and acrylic on canvas, 140 x 160 cm.
LR VANDY at The Artist’s Garden
The roof of Temple tube station, London, WC2R 2PH
3rd October, 2024 – 3rd September, 2025
The Artist’s Garden and theCOLAB proudly present M A R Y M A R Y, a landmark outdoor sculpture exhibition in central London showcasing the work of nine women artists, including LR Vandy. It is set within The Artist's Garden — a once-overlooked half-acre rooftop above Temple tube station, now the world’s first sculpture garden dedicated to women artists.
LR Vandy, Superhero Cog Woman #01, 2019/2024. Installation view, MARY MARY at theCOLAB The Artist's Garden, Temple Station roof terrace, 2024. Image courtesy theCOLAB and © Nick Turpin.
ART OF WISHES
Make-A Wish-UK
Art of Wishes is a remarkable initiative supporting Make-A-Wish UK, founded by renowned collector and philanthropist Batia Ofer. The charity brings the art world together to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

This year, Art of Wishes has been generously gifted a booth at Frieze London to further its mission. Wishes have the power to rescue the magic of childhood and provide a much-needed escape from the gruelling daily reality of a life defined by ongoing treatments, endless hospital stays and their illness.

 

VISTING OCTOBER GALLERY

Bloomsbury, London

October Gallery has been instrumental in bringing to worldwide attention many of the world’s leading international artists, including El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi, Romuald Hazoumè, Nnenna Okore, Laila Shawa and Kenji Yoshida. The Gallery promotes the Transvangarde, the very best in contemporary art from around the planet, as well as maintaining a cultural hub in central London for poets, writers, intellectuals and artists, and hosts talks, performances and seminars, see www.octobergallery.co.uk/events

The rich diversity of art presented is an inspiration to collectors and enthusiasts. Institutions such as the British Museum, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany; Neue Galerie, Kassel, Germany; Setagagya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan have all collected works from October Gallery.

Founded in 1979, October Gallery is a charitable trust which is supported by sales of art, rental of the Gallery's unique facilities, grants from various funding bodies and the active support of dedicated artists, musicians, writers and many friends from around the world. The Gallery’s Education Department is inclusive of all ages from under 5’s to PGCE student and delivers a wide range of provision, see www.octobergalleryeducation.com

October Gallery is open from 12:30 to 17:30 pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
The Gallery is closed during official holidays and the entire month of August.


 

ACCESSIBILITY

There are two steps at the main entrance, each has a rise of 160mm and a 310mm tread (no handrail). The main entrance push door is 750mm wide.
Assisted or ramp access at the Gallery’s main entrance is available upon request.

Chairs can be found in the Gallery space.
The refectory is fully accessible by wheelchair.
Access to the courtyard has a 100mm ramp down coming from the corridor door.
There is also an accessible toilet in the Courtyard.

October Gallery is a Grade II listed building and therefore has no lift access to rooms above the ground floor. This includes the Theatre, the Clubroom and the first floor.

We welcome all visitors and will do our best to accommodate specific needs. Please do let us know in advance if there is anything in particular, we can help with. Call + 44 (0)20 7242 7367 or email gallery@octobergallery.co.uk preferably a day in advance.




October Gallery Education supported by: