Roundup Ratings Explained
w/c 16 February 2026
Everybody wants a recommendation but stars are passé and a percentage score implies rigorous scientific assessment, so the Roundup does things differently. Three simple categories to help you decide what to see and what to skip.
Here’s a brief explanation of each:
Roundup-Worthy (👍🏻👍🏻 aka 5 ⭐️) — Everything about and within the show is engaging, well made, unique or exceptional and you’d gladly visit it again. It will make you think and/or trigger an emotional impact. The kind of show you’ll be glad you didn’t miss, even if aesthetically it’s not your taste. Click here for the full explanation of what makes something Roundup-worthy.
If You’re in the Area (👍🏻 aka 2-4 ⭐️) — This is where the bulk of the shows get listed because the good outweighs the bad. There might even be something great, but some aspects will underwhelm. The category sub-head (“don’t go out of your way”) is intentional because you’d probably be upset if you spent time and/or money trekking halfway across London to see it (that’s my job). But if you happen to be nearby, then yes, it’s absolutely worth nipping in for a look.
NOPE (👎🏻 aka 0-1 ⭐️) — Bad. Boring. Derivative. Lazy. Lousy hang. Poor quality. Repetitive. Shoddy. Unoriginal. The list goes on and since everything’s relative the reasons why I state “you can give these shows a skip” will often depend on the venue (e.g. Blue Chip galleries show work with exceptional technical quality, but that doesn’t mean it’s interesting). Then again, art appreciation is highly subjective so go ahead and have a look, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Now that you know how the ratings work, here’s a dozen London shows, plus a Zone 5 bonus, for you to visit to see if I got it right. Let me know in the comments if you (dis)agree.
One-line reviews of everything I saw last week.
Including a rare visit to Zone 5!
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👍🏻👍🏻 ROUNDUP-WORTHY — see it if you can!
Albion Jeune - Esben Weile Kjær (Fitzrovia) — The beautifully hung stained glass w/mirrored medieval men are a light touch bit of fun, but it’s the giant purple velour demon cat that you’re going for, and it doesn’t disappoint. Utterly pointless. Brilliantly executed. Bravo! 🗓️ Until 21 Mar
Hauser & Wirth (Mayfair) — Bigger is better when the abstract canvasses from Takesada Matsutani uncomfortably spill onto the gallery walls, but it’s the repulsive and rabid monster phalluses that Tetsumi Kudo has locked in cages that feels radically ahead of its time. Made in the 1960-70s, the text says they’re environmentally focussed but these feel like a powerful political statement about recent topics dominating the news and the hypersexualised world we live in. 🗓️ Until 18 Apr
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👍🏻 IF YOU’RE IN THE AREA — but don’t go out of your way…
Bernheim - Cristine Brache (Mayfair) — This could have been yet another boring example of a female artist getting away with using porn to subvert the male gaze (because if a straight male did it, it’d be misogynistic and pervy) but there’s something undeniably ironic and more than a bit unsettling about the way these vintage Playboy bunnies appear to have been frozen in ice, as if they’re a ready-meal waiting to be defrosted. 🗓️ Until 02 Apr
Kristin Hjellegjerde - A Theatre for Dreamers (duo show) (Bermondsey) — Rita Maikova fills her canvasses with so many lovely little touches that I lost count, and the singular figure studies from Tamsin Morse are confident works. Alas, working at scale is harder than it looks, and the large and ambitious compositions from each often felt scattered and less assured. 🗓️ Until 14 Mar
Orleans House Gallery (Twickenham) — I’m still not sure how or why Libby Heaney (🗓️ Until 01 Mar) used quantum physics to justify pairing JMW Turner with Tim Burtonesque tentacles but I was greatly amused by the visual discord. In the Stables Gallery emerging artist Xinan Yang (🗓️ Until 29 Mar) deploys a variety of styles to examine ideas of home and displacement, with some astute observations about the nuances that technology and social media has on our lives.
Royal Drawing School - Drawing Closer (group show) (Shoreditch) — There’s some really beautiful works (and fantastically affordable prices!) in this large showcase from the online 2025 graduates. If you’re a new or early stage collector, or just love drawing, this is a show you won’t want to miss. 🗓️ Until 21 Feb
Seventeen - Jill Tate (Haggerston) — The latest round of Tate’s trademark monochromatic adobe colour canvasses have eschewed surrealism in favour of claustrophobic scenes of rooms stuffed with boxes, plus the occasional still life. 🗓️ Until 21 Mar
Unit London - Stacey Gillian Abe (Mayfair) — Embroidery, hand stitched into the canvas, is a delicate and feminine touch that momentarily distracts you from the naked blue bodies with appendages that morph into animalistic traits such as hairy hoofed legs. 🗓️ Until 28 Feb
White Cube (Bermondsey) — Any time a gallery turns the lights down super low I wonder what’s wrong with the art, but damn don’t these scratched metal sheets from WangShui look stunning in the atmospheric spotlights! Meanwhile, Klára Hosnedlová is an impressive world builder but once the wow factor wore off I realised I couldn’t care less about the reasons why. 🗓️ Until 29 Mar
William Hine - Joey El Haddad (Camberwell) — Viewing these works is akin to spotting imagery in clouds. I thought I saw late 90s graphic design and a handful of artistic references, but maybe I was just trying too hard to make sense of these strange and surreal scenes? 🗓️ Until 21 Mar
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👎🏻 NOPE — you can give these shows a skip:
Dirimart - Fractures & Rhythm (duo show) (Mayfair) — Seķim Pirim’s trippy geometric paper cut patterns would have been mindblowingly impressive, and visually fitting, had they been made entirely by hand in the swinging 60s. Alas, computer modelling and laser cut printers make these 2024-25 works feel soulless and mass produced. Jorinde Voigt’s construction paper sculptures look too much like art camp. 🗓️ Until 21 Feb
Miłość - Sophie Vallance Cantor (Haggerston) — Gatefold privacy screen canvasses and a dynamic hang that draws you in can’t hide the fact that the paintings push you away, but I haven’t yet decided if they just aren’t very good or just aren’t stylised enough to hold my focus. Possibly both? 🗓️ Until 14 Mar
Project Loop - Camille Provost (Haggerston) — All the wall sculptures look like pieces from a set of blocks for kids that lets them construct giant marble mazes (ages 4+, no assembly required). I was going to ask the gallery for a price list but figured it’d be easier to check the Hamley’s website. 🗓️ Until 14 Mar
Anonymous Art Anecdotes
CONDO 2026 has now ended, which got me reminiscing about visiting all 23 venues across two days of the opening weekend. That pilgrimage isn’t for everyone, but more than a handful of collectors and art critics often knowingly nod at each other as they zig zag around the galleries trying to be amongst the first to say they completed the whole circuit.
Early on my Day 1 journey I witnessed a young couple awkwardly stuck between two emotions: excitement about the work they were seeing, mixed with anxiety about having to hurry up and get to the next show. On the way out of the gallery I overheard one of them admonish the other that they didn’t want to upset their friend that was patiently waiting for them downstairs.
That friend turned out to be a well-known figure on the art scene who appeared all too happy to have had a moment’s respite ahead of what was surely going to be a very long day.
Looking ahead…
Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life @ Hayward Gallery — 17 Feb - 03 May (£19)
About Love (group show) @ CasildART — 18 Feb - 01 Mar
Conceptual Art and Christine Kozlov @ Raven Row — 19 Feb - 26 Apr
Kevin Kane @ Hoxton Arches — 20-24 Feb
The Gallery Entry Game
Last week’s doorway leads you into Brunette Coleman, located on the 2nd floor at 42 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8NW. Founded in 2023, the gallery has a strong focus on emerging and experimental art. Showing here is a great way for artists to boost their profile, thanks to the gallery’s frequent participation in cutting edge events like CONDO and Frieze.
Check your inbox on Friday morning for another new entry entry! (That’s not a typo.)
What else would you like to see / read / know?
Thanks for making it all the way to the end of my Newsletter. Did you like what you read? Was there something else you expected? Leave a comment and let me know!
I wonder whether roundup worthy should be split into two categories given most find themselves in that category. You forgot to mention that the giant cat stays deflated if the gallery is empty as the fans are too loud for the gallery staff to put up with if it's empty :)
That cat is brilliant haha