London Photo Gallery - Art Exhibitions & Special Events

Gunnersbury Museum is hosting an exhibition about Southall, whose diverse community included peoples from former colonies. They endured racism from the 1970s onwards and a wave of activism arose.

Located at Peter's Hill on the approach to Millennium Bridge from St. Paul's Cathedral, the London Archives placed a few boards featuring bomb damage maps and photos of destruction taken during World War II.

Just next to Trafalgar Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields has a huge crypt that has been transformed into a cafeteria and gallery. On show is an exhibition about the Pearly Kings and Queens' 150th anniversary. They evolved from market traders who wore mother-of-pearl buttons on their clothes to distinguish themselves. Today, they help raise money for charity.

Photography was a new invention during Victorian times, so people relied on artists drawing battle scenes to know what was happening on the front. Their works were showcased in exhibitions that drew immense public interest, although inevitably some had a propaganda motive behind it to inspire pride and public support.

Tucked on a side street in upscale Mayfair behind from the luxury brands is a fish and chips shop. Open for only 6 weeks, all of its decor are artworks made from fabric, which you can purchase to bring home.

British artist Lucy Sparrow unveiled this exhibition in August with over 65,000 hand-crafted felt pieces on display.

Check out how Japanese pictograms convey messages effectively and quickly.

Freshwater only accounts for 3% of the Earth's water supplies. Being an essential source of life, this exhibition highlights its importance, mismanagement, and solutions.

This exhibition at the Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives highlights 900 years of public transport in the east end from the Bow Bridge's construction in the 12th century to the arrival of the Elizabeth Line.

This trail of turtle statues across Central London highlights the urgency of marine conservation, with each of the 16 sculptures up for auction to support Tusk's Partners' projects.

As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, Liverpool Street station is hosting an exhibiton featuring 17 photos from the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition that include railways, as well as the history of this station following its 150th anniversary the previous year.

Naturalists kept their notes and drew the natural world in these notebooks, and helped share their ideas with others. The Linnean Society has showcased a sample of these in their beautiful Upper Gallery at Burlington House.

This exhibition explores the journey of our food from field to plate, putting a critical lens on industrial farming and monoculture. It explores the history of scientific achievements that made feeding the world a bit easier, its side effects, and sustainable concepts that technology is trying to help achieve.

The London Ambulance Service's headquarters near Waterloo station have 2 vintage vehicles parked out front - a 1949 Daimler DC27 and a 1965 Morris LD.

Spineless prints are stapled, sewn, folded, or a single sheet. They're fragile and not intended to last, but cover a wide assortment of subjects including political movements and creative expression. This oldest item on display at this Senate House Library exhibition goes back to 1491.

During World War II, Chiang Kai-shek wanted the world's 2 major naval powers, Britain and the US, to train its officers. 50 were sent to the US while 24 were sent to Britain, with the latter group arriving at the Royal Naval College in October 1943. These 24 Chinese naval officers would participate in the D-Day landings to liberate France.

The Imperial War Museum held a special exhibition to mark 150 years since Winston Churchill's birth, showcasing satirical cartoons about him from a wide media spectrum.

The Bullring occupied the tunnels between Waterloo Station and the South Bank, where there was a large community of homeless people spanning 20 years. They built shelters using basic materials such as cardboard, pallets, and more, while nearby St. John's Waterloo provided daytime support to these residents. This exhibition showcases their stories.

The Royal College of Nursing operates a small museum at their headquarters, just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street's shopping area.

To celebrate 200 years of modern railways, a special exhibition train, in partnership with the National Railway Museum, is travelling around the country. "Inspiration" is expected to make 60 stops until summer 2026, visiting Euston station between July 12-15, 2025 at platform 16. 4 carriages will display various exhibits with 1 being a locally-designed one customized depending on where the train is on display.

Tucked away on a side street near Somerset House is a fake "Roman bath". Its 17th century owner had made these claims for profit as it was fashionable to have things ancient at the time. The water actually comes from a cistern built in 1612 that sent water from the Thames to the old Somerset House's gardens.

Kate McMillan has put together a haunting exhibition about colonial violence and women's stories, with sounds broadcasted in the lead-up to the building to enhance the experience.

Just a short walk from the busy Camden Market is a creative space that has taken over a church. The Camden Arts Projects is hosting Martin Creed's 2 part exhibition. On the outside above the entrance is the neon phrase "everything is going to be alright", and an interior space filled with white balloons that you can interact, touch, and enjoy. It's an uplifting force we all need in these turbulent times. Despite life's challenges, everything will be alright.

Nao Santa Maria is a 93 foot replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship that set off into the unknown on August 3, 1492 from Spain along with 2 other ships, arriving in America that October. Construction of this replica was spearheaded by the Nao Victoria Foundation to celebrate the 525th anniversary of the encounter between the 2 worlds, and the 200-ton replica ship launched in 2018.

Designed by StudioKCA in collaboration with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, the 11m whale sculpture in Canary Wharf was made using 5 tonnes of plastic litter found on Hawaii's beaches. It sits on a concrete base made of spent coffee grounds from area restaurants.

Founded in 1922 by a British Army officer to employ veterans injured in World War I, the Poppy Factory continues to support our veterans adapt to life in the civilian world and overcome barriers to work. As part of VE Day commemorations, the factory opened to the public that afternoon with exhibits, factory tours, and a chance to make your own poppy.

The Korean Cultural Centre UK near Charing Cross is hosting an exhibition about traditional Korean sound and music from a scientific perspective to mark the 80th anniversary of the National Science Museum of Korea. It showcases various traditional musical instruments and an AI-composed piece of traditional music.

To celebrate the 170th anniversary of the Bowring Treaty that established diplomatic relations between Britain and Thailand, the Royal Geographical Society and Embassy of Thailand are showcasing photos of 19th century Thailand taken by John Thomson, which include royalty, landscapes, and festivals.

This small exhibition at the University of London's Senate House Library outlines the plight of the Caribbean colonies in their lead-up to political reform and ultimately independence.

Indonesian artist Citra Sasmita has decorated the Barbican's The Curve with her first solo exhibition in the UK with Kamasan paints, which were used to narrate Hindu epics by men and comes from Bali. She challenges the gender bias and portrays women as the stars.

The Craft of Carpentry showcases Japanese carpentry skills in the basement gallery at Japan House in High Street Kensington.

Lauderdale House in Highgate hosted a series of pencil drawings by Paul Hiles featuring London's cityscape. Mostly in monochrome, he depicts special elements in colour, such as double decker buses, as an interesting contrast. These are on display on the upper floor of the historic house.

Provocative it is, with F.U.C.K. spelled out in front of you the moment you step into the exhibition space.

Ai Weiwei was born in Beijing in 1957 and now lives in Portugal.

During the 1920s, trams saw increasing competition with the underground railway. Poster marketing was used with initial designs by the School of Arts and Crafts. The London Archives is hosting a dedicated exhibition titled London's Tramways Posters.

Taking place between 21 January and 1 February 2025 across a number of sites in Canary Wharf, Winter Lights is a free exhibition attracting huge crowds on a weekend evening when the offices are supposed to be empty.

IKEA opened a pop-up shop named Hus of FRAKTA on Oxford Street with a small exhibition about its famous blue bag. You can personalize one with your initials for only 50 pence (medium size), which takes just minutes. While you wait, there is an exhibition and small shop out back to explore.

A set of 12 penguin sculptures have arrived in the Fleet Street Quarter, each with its own festive design with an audio guide about these creatures. This event is a collaboration with the WWF, raising awareness of conservation efforts amidst climate change's impact on the Antarctic penguins.

Just steps from Regent's Park in a church crypt, I explored a series of paintings depicting the Chinese Labour Corps during World War I.

As part of the London Design Festival, Melek Zeynep Bulut's 'Duo' went on display at Greenwich's Painted Hall between Oct 28 - Nov 3, 2024. It features a hanging rectangular prism, a minimalist design, with light rolling through it continuously.

Japan House is the country's showcase in London, offering a shop, tourist information, exhibitions, and a restaurant in the heart of High Street Kensington.

Downstairs, "Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan's food replica culture" is all about the very realistic food replicas that Japanese restaurants typically display at the front so you know what to expect if you order it. It outlines the methods used to produce these models and a large variety of foods from the country's prefectures.

Taste of Memory showcases the collective memories of British Chinese chefs with historic photos of Chinese restaurants at the London Archives.