With a bold new gallery space, and an enticing crop of exhibitions, Mayfair continues to push creative boundaries

 

Words: Will Moffitt

Alon Zakaim Fine Art

Snapped at the legendary Hôtel Nord-Pinus in Arles amid the ghostly presence of Picasso, Cocteau, Callas, Chaplin, Hemingway, and Van Gogh, Maryam Eisler’s work explores the masculine and feminine tensions the city has birthed and witnessed over centuries. Staying at the hotel in 2021 between lockdowns, Eisler was drawn to Suite 10, the site where celebrated bullfighters once greeted adoring crowds and the location for Helmut Newton’s iconic 1973 Vogue shoot with Charlotte Rampling. Those images serve as inspiration for London-based Persian artist Eisler’s celebration and reexamination of feminine strength and beauty in If Only These Walls Could Talk. Open until November 24.

27 Cork Street

Lead image: Autant En Emporte Le Vent. Above image: Il Etait Une Fois, Le Nord-Pinus, both by Maryam Eisler

MASSIMODECARLO

MASSIMODECARLO has inaugurated a new gallery space in Mayfair at 16 Clifford Street with a solo exhibition by French artist Jean-Marie Appriou. Fixated on the concepts of time and mysticism, Appriou draws inspiration from Victorian artist Sir John Everett Millais’ painting of Shakespeare's tragic character Ophelia. Working with metal, clay and other materials the artist evokes archaic forms that intertwine contemporary, mythological and futuristic worlds. Situated in an 18th century townhouse MASSIMODECARLO’s new Mayfair gallery will continue its legacy of showcasing bold counter-cultural work and supporting lesser known artists. Open until November 12. 

16 Clifford Street

Jean-Marie Appriou in his studio

Philip Mould

Sarah Biffin rose to fame in the 19th century as a remarkably talented miniaturist, undertaking commissions for royalty. Despite being a prolific disabled artist – many of her works were signed “without hands” – who appeared in numerous published memoirs, letters and literary works of the age, Biffin has been largely overlooked by art historians. A new exhibition at Philip Mould & Company hopes to rectify this by hosting the first retrospective of Biffins’ work in a century. Opening on November 1 (until December 21) with help from disabled artist Alison Lapper MBE who was born with the same condition, Without Hands celebrates Biffin as a disabled artist who challenged attitudes to disability.

18-19 Pall Mall

A self-portrait by Sarah Biffin

JD Malat Gallery

A solo exhibition by Zimbabwean artist Tega Tafadzwa has debuted at JD Malat Gallery. Curated in collaboration with Africa First and on view until 7 November RWENDO – WHICH MEANS JOURNEY showcases individuals from the African continent and their hopeful journeys to seek out more prosperous lifestyles in South Africa and London. The exhibition examines negative realities such as marginalisation and ‘othering', but Tega ultimately aims to encourage readings of compassion and highlight the global need to embrace and uphold one another in the face of frenetic global change.  

30 Davies Street

The Streets by Tega Tafadzwa