Picture Perfect: The must-visit art galleries in London this summer

On 12 June 2026, British artist David Hockney passed away at the age of 88. He was one of the most influential artists of the modern era and was one of the leaders of the 1960s pop art movement. The beloved painter used art to embrace life, saying that art ‘should be joyful’. His paintings are some of the most recognisable, and can be found all over the world. In London, his works are currently being exhibited at his very first exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries. So if you’d like to celebrate the life and legacy of David Hockney, while also paying tribute to the artform as a whole, we’ve found some of the must-visit galleries in London that you should visit this summer.SERPENTINE GALLERIES | THE PAVILION & DAVID HOCKNEY

The Serpentine’s annual architectural commission returns to the art venue’s South Gallery this June, with a dramatic experimental structure by Lanza Atelier – the studio founded by Isabel Abascal and Alessandro Arienzo. The duo, based in Mexico City, have taken inspiration from English gardens and the traditional serpentine (or crinkle-crankle) wall, an architectural feature which creates stability from its curved shape. A translucent roof allows light and air into the pavilion to create an indoor-outdoor space that is one with the trees that surround it – a “rhythmic repetition of brick columns” transforms the wall from opaque to permeable. Lanza Atelier chose brick for their primary material, referencing the similar brick façade of the South Gallery.

Just six-minutes’ walk along the Serpentine lake, the North Gallery invites visitors to explore the work of one of the most famous contemporary artists: David Hockney. The artist’s first exhibition at the Serpentine Galleries, David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting features specially created artworks and new paintings that celebrate the extraordinary within the everyday. Central to the exhibition is Hockney’s panoramic frieze A Year in Normandie – displayed here in London for the first time – which was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and depicts the changing seasons at the artist’s French studio.SAATCHI GALLERY | THE SUN AND THE MOON

A major new exhibition The Sun and The Moon: Art Inspired by the Celestial brings a multitude of artists together to celebrate the skies, across two floors of Saatchi Gallery. Artworks and installation by established artists including David Shrigley and Paula Rego, as well as emerging talent and archival material, take visitors from day to night in nine ‘chapters’

Explore mythology in Dawn, and seasons and rituals in Sun Rising; Zenith showcases how artists respond to the sun and the body, while Setting Sun focuses on transformation. At the halfway point, Luke Jerram’s installation Helios (above) is a monumental reproduction of the sun in a double-height gallery, incorporating a collage of more than 400,000 photographs of the surface of the sun.

The second half of the exhibition turns to the moon, beginning with Evening, with Saad Qureshi’s large-scale suspended split moon. Walking on the Moon focuses on the cultural impact of the Apollo space missions, and features the collaborative work Moon Landing by Margo Selby and composer Helen Caddick. Midnight turns to the mystical, examining the moon’s long association with folklore and magic. Concluding the exhibition, Darkest Hours presents an immersive installation that envelops viewers with spheres of light. Titled Massless Suns and Dark Suns and Massless Sun and Surface of the Sky, the installation is by internationally renowned artists teamLab.THE HOUSE OF FINE ART | MAJA PETRIĆ & ZHUANG HONG-YI

For contemporary artist showcases and new media art, The House of Fine Art has long specialised in presenting “exceptional talent and cultural relevance”. The gallery’s summer exhibitions include Lumen Prize-winning Maja Petrić’s, whose solo showcase The Glitched Sublime uses cutting-edge technology to render environmental change in artistic form. The Croatian American artist’s custom-built system tracks environmental conditions in regions where Arctic poppies bloom; when the conditions exceed the limits of their survival, the system activates, translating real-time data into physical form. The results, whether sculpture or canvas, are live interaction between data and material. Colour, intensity and rhythm all shift with the environmental systems, highlighting the fragility of nature.

In July, the gallery welcomes the optimistic outlook of renowned Chinese contemporary artist Zhuang Hong-yi in his solo exhibition Tides of Folded Light. With bold colour schemes and sophisticated floral motifs, Zhuang pushes the experimental nature of his recognisable style to the limit in these refined, carefully orchestrated works.

“Everywhere around the world, flowers represent peace, happiness and prosperity,” says the artist. “We might not all speak the same language, but we can all read flowers.” 

Zhuang combines traditional Chinese techniques with contemporary craftsmanship, from rice paper folding, ink painting, calligraphy with acrylics, mixed media and even digital elements. His interactive installations invite viewers to step inside of the works, just as his accompanying narratives provide artistic insight to his inspirations and deepen the story of each piece. Zhuang’s work, says HOFA, suggests that: “Tradition and innovation are not opposing forces, but rather complementary elements that know no boundaries and transcend all limitations”.TATE MODERN | TRACEY EMIN & FRIDA KAHLO

Two mighty women dominate the Tate Modern’s summer exhibitions. Dame Tracey Emin’s landmark exhibition A Second Life traces 40 years of the contemporary artist’s groundbreaking work through 90 pieces, bringing together her painting, video, textiles, neons, sculpture and installations. From challenging, career-defining works – such as her Turner Prize nominated My Bed (1998) – to never-before-exhibited works, Emin’s work evokes passion, pain and healing, with the body as a conduit. New photography documents her recovery from bladder cancer surgery, while sculptural works celebrate her new relationship with her body.

“Emin’s disregard for any separation of the personal and the public, along with her commitment to unapologetic self-expression, came to define a historic moment in British culture and global art history,” says the Tate.

From one artistic powerhouse to another, Frida: The Making of an Icon charts the extraordinary story of how revolutionary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) rose to become a cultural phenomenon. Launching in June, the exhibition tracks Kahlo’s many selves through 30 of her most influential works – the dedicated wife, the intellectual, the modern artist, the gender-critical, and the political activist. Treasured garments, jewellery, photographs and memorabilia complete the picture of her life, while more than 200 works by her contemporaries and artists she has inspired since show the phenomenal influence that she continues to exert on contemporary art.

Finally, the show explores how Kahlo’s work and impact has led to global ‘Fridamania’; the exhibit houses more than 200 commercial objects that use her art, style and legend. A bespoke menu by Santiago Lasta – founder of Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant Kol – has also been created for the exhibition, and visitors can enjoy cocktails, lunch or dinner after the exhibition.

Images: David Parry/ Royal Academy of Arts,

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