21.09.2024 – 27.03.2025
Heritage Gallery Exhibition: City of London, a city of science
City of London Heritage GalleryA new display that celebrates the City’s rich history of scientific innovation and invention.
Celebrate the work of artist and specialist wood engraver Anne Desmet, at this new exhibition inspired by "climate crisis, escape, and possible new worlds".
From 12 April 2024 to 12 January 2025, discover a fresh perspective on London, its architecture and geography at this forthcoming major exhibition that celebrates the work of multi-award-winning wood engraver Anne Desmet RA.
Explore 150 artworks, including 41 London-themed prints created exclusively for this new exhibition and a selection of tools and engraved wood blocks, spanning over three decades of Desmet’s documentation of London through the mediums of wood engraving and mixed-media printed collage.
Desmet’s prints create a unique dialogue between time and change, depicting the evolution of urban landscapes - from ancient Rome and Pompeii to London. One of the stand-out art works not to be missed will be a complex collage, ‘Fires of London’, created using 18 razor-clam shells to present a theme of the many historic fires of London over the last 1,500 years.
A deeply personal and endlessly imaginative show, Desmet has spoken candidly about her inspiration for the new work, pointing to “wild scattergun thoughts running through my mind” while undergoing treatment for cancer two years ago and looking at a fragmented view of the world through a toy kaleidoscope.
The exhibition has been curated by Anne Desmet and Head of Guildhall Art Gallery, Elizabeth Scott, and is the first solo exhibition led by a female artist at Guildhall Art Gallery.
Admission
Admission to 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' exhibition is on a "Pay What You Can" basis. You can pay as much or as little as you like for your ticket or visit for free.
Income from this exhibition will help the Gallery to put on new public exhibitions and support their education and conservation programmes.
Artist Led Exhibition Tours
Immerse yourself in the world of 'Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London' with an extended tour led by exhibition artist and co-curator Anne Desmet RA. Discover the diverse themes of construction and metamorphosis that inform Desmet's work and learn more about her hand-crafted print techniques.
- Find out more and book an exhibition tour with Anne Desmet RA
Wood Engraving Workshop
Join artist and co-curator Anne Desmet RA for an interactive wood engraving workshop on 17 and 23 August. During this one-day masterclass you will learn the basics of wood engraving, create two engraved woodblocks and go home with several prints of your own design.
- Find out more and book a wood engraving workshop with Anne Desmet RA on Saturday 30 November or Saturday 14 December 2024.
Come and see our new acquisition
'Colosseum Kaleidoscope' by Anne Desmet was commissioned in 2024 by the Friends of Guildhall Art Gallery to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the current gallery. Inspired by the Gallery and Amphitheatre, Desmet has created a composition of three components forming a metamorphosing sequence about the gallery’s history and the discovery of London's Roman amphitheatre on the site. The newly acquired work has been added to the current exhibition ‘Anne Desmet: Kaleidoscope/London’ and can be viewed until the exhibition closes on 12 January 2025. The Guildhall Art Gallery thanks the Friends of Guildhall Art Gallery for their very kind and generous donation of the artwork.
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About Anne Desmet RA
Printmaker Anne Desmet RA is only the third artist to be elected to the Royal Academy for the wood engraving medium in the RA’s 256-year history. To date, Desmet has exhibited her work in over 40 solo shows, including five major museum exhibitions in the UK and overseas. Her work has won over 40 national and international awards over her 35-year career to date.
‘...By seeing the city anew and with a sense of its unexpected possibilities, I hope that my work will inspire optimism and constructive thinking in our uncertain times.’ (Anne Desmet RA)
Watch the video below where she takes us through each step in creating a wood engraving.
Footage courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts © Royal Academy of Arts 2024
