Our pick of this week’s art events: 25 March – 1 April

Published 25 March 2016

From a celebration of Jamaican Dancehall EP covers, to the unveiling of work by Yinka Shonibare RA, there’s plenty to see this Bank Holiday weekend.

  • In Fine Style: the Dancehall Art of Wilfred Limonious

    South London Gallery, London, until 3 April

    The explosive and uninhibited graphic art of Wilfred Limonious was the defining face of Jamaican LP cover art in the 1980s and 90s. Anyone who has found themselves leafing through the reggae section in a record store will surely recognise Limonious’ depictions of chaotic, bustling streets rendered in sharp lines, which truly encapsulated the energy of the culture and the spirit of the music. Whether a reggae fan or not, Limonious colourful, dynamic illustrations, presented alongside comic strips and logos, are sure to attract your attention.

  • Wilfred Liminous, Illustration from the cover of the LP Dance Hall Time by Various Artistes (Scar Face Music, 1986)

    Wilfred Liminous, Illustration from the cover of the LP Dance Hall Time by Various Artistes (Scar Face Music, 1986).

    Courtesy One Love Books © 2016 Ossie Thomas/Wilfred Limonious Estate. Lettering by Jonny Olbey.

  • Elizabeth Price: A RESTORATION

    Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, until 15 May

    The Turner prize-winning video artist Elizabeth Price has continually explored the seductiveness and near ubiquity of film throughout her career. In this new piece, which typically weaves fact and fiction, she delves into the archives of the Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers museums, using records of Arthur Evans’ excavation of the Cretan city of Knossos as her starting point. Museum administrators narrate the film as they attempt to use Evans’ documents to digitally recreate the Knossos. Price’s work delves into the archives of both Oxford museums to consider how history and interpretation have shaped the objects within them.

  • Elizabeth Price, Image Courtesy of the artist and MOT International London and Brussels

    Elizabeth Price, Image Courtesy of the artist and MOT International London and Brussels, 2016.

  • Yinka Shonibare RA

    Turner Contemporary, Margate, until 30 October

    Empire and cultural identity are recurrent themes in Yinka Shonibare RA’s work, and they take centre stage once again in this exhibition at the Turner contemporary. In two recent commissioned works Shonibare considers the residual impact of alliances made during the First World War on today’s society. End of Empire is a sculptural work consisting of two figures clothed in traditional African fabric on a Victorian seesaw, at once full of movement and frozen in time. With globes for heads, the figures serve as a metaphor for dialogue and the possibility of compromise between global forces. The British Library is an installation that celebrates the diversity of Britain, with rows of book spines bound in colourful cloth bearing the names of noteworthy immigrants. This is a playful display underpinned by important commentary on the impact of colonialism, immigration and global conflict.

  • Yinka Shonibare RA, End of Empire

    Yinka Shonibare RA, End of Empire, 2016.

    Credit: John Phillips/Getty Images for 14-18 NOW.

  • Eileen Cooper RA

    Rook and Raven, London, until 28 May

    The simultaneously fluid and robust figures which reappear in Eileen Cooper RA’s work are an unmistakable reminder of the power and sexuality of the female body. Bold outlines articulate forms with childlike naivety, yet nuanced gestures reveal a mature psychological insight. Exploiting a wide range of materials, including oil, pencil, chalk, charcoal, acrylic and watercolour, Cooper’s art is fearlessly experimental and expressive. Unveiling a selection of new works, this exhibition pays testimony to Cooper’s unwavering artistic curiosity in her continued exploration of form and figure.

  • Eileen Cooper RA, Midsummer Night

    Eileen Cooper RA, Midsummer Night, 2016.

    Oil on Canvas. 163 x 153 cm.

  • Franciszka & Stefan Themerson: Books, Camera, Ubu

    The Camden Arts Centre, London, until 5 June

    The artistic partnership of husband and wife duo Franciszka and Stefan Themerson was broad and varied, spanning poetry, literature, painting, photography, illustration and theatre design. Regardless of medium, their creative output was consistently innovative and unconventional, which makes their collaboration just as captivating for audiences today as when it first began in 1929. For all the absurdity and pandemonium that characterise their artistic approach, there is an underlying exploration of language, ethics and freedom. This exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre looks at their film, publishing and stage design based around Alfred Jarry’s 1890’s play, Ubu Roi.

  • , Kung Ubu, directed by Michael Meschke at the Marionetteatern, Stockholm, 1964. Costumes and set designed by Franciszka Themerson

    Kung Ubu, directed by Michael Meschke at the Marionetteatern, Stockholm, 1964. Costumes and set designed by Franciszka Themerson, 1964.

    Image Courtesy Camden Art Centre © Themerson Estate, London.