The best female-led art exhibitions to see in London in 2023

During a recent visit to the Marina Abramović exhibition, we discovered that it marked the first solo show by a woman in the RA's Main Galleries. While there is still work to be done in achieving gender equality in the art world, it's heartening to witness significant advancements. The National Portrait Gallery, for instance, has boosted the representation of female sitters in their portraits from 35 to 48 percent.Moreover, Tate Britain's recent rehang showcases the work of approximately 70 living artists, with half of them being women.

London currently offers a platform for outstanding women artists with notable exhibitions. Alongside Marina Abramović, Claudette Johnson's work is being celebrated in a solo exhibition at the Courtauld. Both the Barbican and Tate Modern have curated all-female group shows that explore themes related to ecology, climate, and art activism. Here are 12 exhibitions by women artists to see in London right now.

Women In Revolt! 

Gina Birch 3 Minute Scream 1977 © Gina Birch.

#FLODown: Women in Revolt! is a groundbreaking exhibition, surveying the work of more than 100 British women artists from 1970 to 1990, a period marked by significant societal, economic, and political changes. The exhibition spans diverse mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, and performance, and explores pivotal moments such as the Women's Liberation movement, legal changes affecting women, maternal and domestic experiences, cultural movements like Rock Against Racism and Punk, the Greenham Common peace movement, the visibility of Black and South Asian Women Artists, Section 28, and the AIDS pandemic. Celebrating women often marginalised by mainstream art institutions, the show highlights their contributions to British culture and their legacy for future artists.

Date: 8 November 2023 - 7 April 2024. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Price: from £17. Concessions available. Book now.

If Not Now, When?

Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain, 1960 – 2023

Christine Kowal Post, Amazons Installation, 2000.

If Not Now, When? is the outcome of a two-year research project called Hepworth's Progeny, funded by the Holberg Prize. It celebrates female sculptors like Permindar Kaur, Katrina Cowling, and Christine Kowal Post, highlighting their resilience in male-dominated spheres. Divided into three chapters, the exhibition explores the concept of time as experienced by women, addressing social roles, urgent issues like climate change, and historical injustices. The overarching theme is hope, found in the representation of femininity and the celebration of the gendered experience through unique perspectives.

Date: 15 November - 22 January 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £10. Concessions available. Book now.

Marina Abramović

‘Artist Portrait with a Candle (A)’, from the series With Eyes Closed I See Happiness, 2012.Colour, fine art pigment print. Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives © Marina Abramović.

#FLODown: The Royal Academy of Arts is showcasing a groundbreaking solo exhibition featuring renowned Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović. With a career spanning over 50 years, Abramović has propelled performance art from experimentation to mainstream recognition. The exhibit, curated in collaboration with the artist, will showcase her diverse practice through photographs, videos, objects, and installations. A highlight will be live reenactments of four of Abramović's key performances. Known for transforming everyday actions through repetition and endurance, Abramović's work delves into the interplay between personal and societal, conceptual and existential. From collaborating with Ulay (1975-1988) to solo experiments, she continuously pushes boundaries and has had a profound influence on contemporary art.

Date: 23 September 2023 – 1 January 2024
Location: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD Royal Academy of Arts
Price: from £25.50. Concessions available. Book now.

Claudette Johnson: Presence

Image: Claudette Johnson, Figure in Blue, 2018. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Claudette Johnson.

#FLODown: The Courtauld Gallery presents 'Presence,' a major exhibition showcasing the pioneering work of British artist Claudette Johnson, a prominent figure in the Black British Arts Movement. Known for her powerful figurative drawings of Black individuals, the exhibition features a range of her works, spanning from early pieces to recent creations. Johnson's art captures intimate yet compelling portrayals, addressing themes of Black presence and identity. The exhibition, curated by Dorothy Price, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art and Critical Race Art History at The Courtauld, offers a significant exploration of Johnson's career and artistic development, accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue.

Date: 29 September 2023 – 14 January 2024. 
Location: The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN. Price: from £13. Concessions available. Book now.

Tamara Henderson: Green in the Grooves

Green in the Grooves by artist Tamara Henderson at Camden Arts Centre

#FLODown: Green in the Grooves by artist Tamara Henderson explores earthworm ecology. Through a new film, 12 paintings, a sound installation, and sculptures, Henderson highlights the imagination's role in shaping our future. The exhibit also underscores humanity's impact on Earth's cyclical processes, emphasising the importance of the handmade and experimentation.

Date: 6 October - 31 December 2023.Location: Camden Art Centre Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.

Sarah Lucas: Laughing Gas

Sarah Lucas, Bunny 1997. Private collection © Sarah Lucas.

#FLODown: Sarah Lucas, a renowned British artist, is known for her bold and thought-provoking exploration of human identity. In a career spanning four decades, she has challenged conventional notions of sex, class, and gender by using everyday objects in unexpected ways. This exhibition showcases her diverse body of work in sculpture, installation, and photography, offering a comprehensive view of her artistry beyond her association with the 1990s Young British Art movement. With humor and audacity, Lucas pushes the boundaries to reveal the multifaceted spectrum of human existence.

Date: 28 September 2023 – 14 January 2024. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Price: from £17. Concession available.
Book now. 

 
RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology 

Fina Miralles, Relacions. Relació del cos amb elements naturals. El cos cobert de palla [Documentació de l'acció realitzada el gener de 1975 a Sabadell, Espanya] / Relationship: The Body’s Relationship with Natural Elements. The Body Covered with Straw, 1975 . Courtesy of MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona.

#FLODown: RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology at Barbican Art Gallery examines the link between gender and ecology through artworks by 50 global artists. It highlights the connection between women's oppression and environmental damage, emphasising marginalised communities. The exhibition advocates creative protest and care amid ecological challenges. It reframes gender-environment discussions, addressing extractive capitalism's impact and promoting empowerment. RE/SISTERS calls for equality, activism, and renewed planet care.

Date: 5 October 2023 – 14 January 2024. Location: Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: £16. Concessions available. Book now.

 
Ranjani Shettar: Cloud songs on the Horizon

Ranjani Shettar's site-specific exhibition, Cloud Songs on the Horizon at the Barbican conservatory. © MTotoe.

#FLODown: Indian sculptor Ranjani Shettar's site-specific exhibition, Cloud Songs on the Horizon at the Barbican Conservatory, showcases impressive suspended sculptures inspired by the beauty of nature and the rich tapestry of Indian craftsmanship. This artistic collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art seamlessly integrates with the Barbican's commitment to blending contemporary art with its architectural environment.

Date: 10 September 2023 - March 2024. Location: Barbican Conservatory, Silk St London EC2Y 8DS. Price: Free. Book now.

Angèle Etoundi: Africaness

Autoportrait. Courtesy of Angèle Etoundi Essamba and Doyle Wham

#FLODown: Doyle Wham presents Africanesse, the UK's first solo exhibit by acclaimed Cameroonian artist Angèle Etoundi Essamba. The exhibition showcases vintage silver gelatin prints, challenging stereotypes about Black women. These rare artworks, hand-developed between 1985 and 2006, now grace prestigious collections globally. Essamba reflects on her shift from the darkroom to digital photography, cherishing her intimate connection with craft during the darkroom era.

Date: 28 September - 25 November 2023. Location: Doyle Wham, 91a Rivington Street,EC2A 3AY. Price: Free. Website: doylewham.com.

 Sheila Hicks: Infinite Potential

Sheila Hicks: Infinite Potential.

#FLODown: Alison Jacques presents "Infinite Potential" by Sheila Hicks, showcasing her innovative use of materials and a rich array of colours, transforming everyday objects into captivating sculptures. Inspired by her adventurous spirit and strong environmental consciousness, Hick’s art is a thought-provoking experience for audiences.

Date: 6 October – 18 November 2023. Location: Alison Jacques, 22 Cork Street, W1S 3NG. Price: Free. Website: alisonjacques.com

 Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto

Marilyn Monroe applying Chanel N°5, photograph by Ed Feingersh, 1955, New York. © Ed Feingersh Michael Ochs Archives Getty Images.

#FLODown:The V&A Museum is hosting a landmark exhibition focusing on the pioneering fashion designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel. The exhibit features over 200 outfits, accessories, and more, spanning Chanel's 1910-1971 designs. Divided into ten sections, it explores her innovative fashion approach that still influences fashion today. The display includes rare pieces from the V&A, Palais Galliera, and Patrimoine de CHANEL collections, highlighting her impact on fashion over 60 years and her British inspirations.

Date: 16 September 2023 – 25 February 2024.
Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Price: from £24.Concessions available. Book now.

Marina Xenofontos: Public Domain

Public Domain by Marina Xenofontos. Camden Arts Centre. © MTotoe.

#FLODown: Public Domain by Marina Xenofontos is an innovative art commission featuring architectural interventions and sculpture. Xenofontos explores the intersection of ideology, personal history, and cultural material. The exhibition emphasises the tension between freely circulating images and deeply personal content. It highlights overlooked cultural materials shaping civic life and modern social relations.

The Camden Art Centre Emerging Artist Prize at Frieze is an award that provides an emerging UK or international artist selected from Frieze Focus with the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at Camden Art Centre in London. Marina Xenofontos is the fourth recipient of this prestigious prize.

Date: 6 October 2023 - 30 December 2023. Location: Camden Art Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG. Price: Free. Website: camdenartcentre.org.