A new art space has opened in central London, with Elizabeth Xi Bauer gallery launching its latest venue in Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition offers a glimpse into its future programme and highlights its commitment to multidisciplinary art practices that span cultural boundaries.
The exhibition features a diverse range of works from both established and emerging artists, including Abraham Kritzman, Theodore Ereira-Guyer, Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín, Marta Jakobovits, Thiago Barbalho, Oswaldo Maciá, Karoliina Hellberg, and Elena Njoabuzia Onwochei-Garcia. Each artist brings unique perspectives and techniques, helping to define the gallery’s vision as it prepares for an ambitious 2025 programme that will encompass both its Exmouth Market and Deptford locations.
One of the highlights of the show is a new series of large-scale paintings by Abraham Kritzman, currently in residency at the gallery’s Deptford studio. Kritzman’s work, which combines oil and acrylic on wooden structures, is inspired by his global travels and research into mythologies and architecture. The series promises to be a key feature of the gallery’s spring 2025 exhibition, continuing his exploration of the relationship between the human form and historical contexts.
The exhibition also features pieces from Theodore Ereira-Guyer, whose work delves into the fragility of memory. Ereira-Guyer’s large etchings on silk and plaster focus on how details fade over time, mirroring the passage of memories. These works, alongside Kritzman’s paintings, will form the core of the gallery’s programming for the coming year, showcasing the technical mastery and conceptual depth that define both artists’ practices.
Another notable participant is Antonio Pichillá Quiacaín, a Guatemala-based artist whose works explore Mayan heritage and rituals through textile fibres. His pieces, inspired by anthropological research, highlight the cultural resilience of the Maya people. This exhibition marks the gallery’s announcement of Pichillá’s representation, with a solo show scheduled for late 2025.
The Inaugural Exhibition also introduces Marta Jakobovits, whose ceramic works capture the tactile beauty of nature through casting and glazing techniques. In addition, Thiago Barbalho brings his exploration of visual language through vibrant compositions created with diverse materials such as graphite, oil, and acrylic paints.
Oswaldo Maciá, known for his climate-change-inspired frescoes and olfactory-acoustic sculptures, presents a series of ink-on-paper beetle drawings. The works reflect his 2024 research in Namibia, investigating the sound of desert winds and insects.
Karoliina Hellberg’s large, colourful canvases invite the viewer into a dreamlike world, while Elena Njoabuzia Onwochei-Garcia’s figurative paintings challenge historical and contemporary narratives around race and identity, drawing on her own diverse heritage.
The new Exmouth Market location marks an exciting new chapter for Elizabeth Xi Bauer gallery. Artistic Director Edward Sheldrick expressed his enthusiasm for the space, noting its ability to provide a platform for a range of voices and encourage cross-cultural dialogue. The gallery aims to offer both local and international audiences access to innovative, boundary-pushing contemporary art.
