The best art exhibitions coming up in Bristol and the Westcountry – selected by the Friends of the RWA…
Here’s our pick of the best art exhibitions and events happening in and around Bristol and the south west – including a look ahead to upcoming features….
AT THE RWA
RWA 172 Annual Open Exhibition
6 September – 28 December 2025
The RWA Annual Open Exhibition is one of the UK’s most prestigious open-submission exhibitions, welcoming artists at all stages of their careers. Now in its 172nd year, this highly anticipated event provides a platform for emerging and established artists to exhibit their work in the RWA’s stunning Grade II*-listed galleries.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Compiled by Sue Quirk and Laurel Smart
1) MEMENTO MORI: GROUP SHOW
1-30 NOVEMBER, ANDELLI ART, WELLS, SOMERSET
A group exhibition curated by Matt Loughlin. For hundreds of years, the phrase Memento Mori (Latin for “Remember You Must Die”) was used as a powerful reminder of the precious, fleeting nature of life. It was a call to arms to celebrate and appreciate the time we have on this earth, but this grand, far-reaching topic has all but died out in society today – especially in the world of art. In this spirit, Matt Loughlin and Andelli Art have brought together a diverse group of artists to interpret and explore this very existential topic through a variety of crafts and mediums. Memento Mori is sure to be a poignant, beautiful, self-affirming experience to all those who are brave enough to face some of life’s biggest questions.
Participating artists: Tamsin Abbott, Evie May Adams, Jonathan Alibone, Max Bainbridge, Christabel Balfour, Kaye Blegvad, Christopher Brown, Cathy Cullis, Joseph Dilnot, Sophie Glover, Marcelle Hanselaar, David Ivie, Lisa Ivory, Flora Jamieson, Freyja Lee, Vicky Lindo & Bill Brookes, Matt Loughlin, Lu Mason, Rowan MacGregor, Rosie McLachlan, Julia Meredith, Jackie Morris, Miroslav Pomichal, Max Porter, Jared Robertson, Danni Rudie, Katie Spragg.
2) ROBIN GRAY, STRANGE BIOLOGY
6 – 22 NOVEMBER, WELLS MUSEUM, WELLS SOMERSET
This exhibition will feature three aspects of this artist’s work. The main area will be composed of the colourful and interesting abstract paintings. These paintings are carefully constructed but they are totally unplanned. One feature of ‘Strange Biology’ is that they can be hung any way round. Alongside these paintings will be the Dot and Line drawings that have become very popular recently. In addition to these two ‘abstract’ styles, will be a small number of Gray’s famous caving subjects, pictures that are very suitable for the museum which has a great area devoted to cave exploration.
Robin has also decided to include a small number of very early works showing important developments in the artist’s artistic life. He was one of the country’s first artist to work in acrylic paint and was awarded the contemporary art prize in 2018 by the National Association of Painters in Acrylic.
3) IN THE FIELD: AFRICA: GROUP EXHIBITION
14 – 30 NOVEMBER, TRYMWOOD STUDIOS, BRISTOL
‘In the field: Africa’ at Bristol’s contemporary wildlife gallery, Trymwood Studios, is a real treat for the winter season. From elephants to zebras, from meerkats to warthogs, this exciting exhibition will celebrate some of the extraordinary fauna of the African continent through drawing, painting, original print and sculpture.
This showcase is also an exciting celebration of a unique fieldwork methodology when making art. Devoting themselves to sustained periods of time observing African animals, ‘in the field’, the artists in this exhibition dedicate their full energies to understanding their subject—a most demanding way of practising their craft. This integrity visibly translates into beautiful artworks that captivate and excite.
The exhibition will include artwork by John Dobbs, Polly Hosp, Wynona Legg, Nick Mackman, Harriet Mead, Greg Poole, Dafila Scott and John Threlfall; artists as passionate about their mediums as the wonderful subject matter they explore.
4) SKETCH FOR SURVIVAL
UNTIL 16 NOVEMBER, NATURE IN ART, TWIGWORTH, GLOUCESTER
Every artwork in Sketch for Survival carries a message. Whether it portrays a threatened species, highlights an at-risk habitat, or reflects a wider conservation story, the art is designed to spark conversation and raise awareness about the urgent issues facing our natural world.
Since the initiative began, it has attracted artists from an incredible 119 different countries, united by a shared concern for wildlife and wild spaces. From thousands of entries received this year, just 100 artworks have been selected by our expert selection panel, chaired by renowned wildlife artist Gary Hodges. Each of these pieces has been donated by the artist, supporting both the campaign fund and the message behind it. Funds raised will support frontline conservation projects around the globe. In 2025, these range from protecting pangolins in Malawi, to safeguarding tigers in India, and conserving red pandas in Nepal.
5) DRAWING THE NIGHT IN: GROUP SHOW
UNTIL 17 NOVEMBER, BLACK SWAN ARTS, FROME, SOMERSET
As the hour changes and the Autumn light gives way to darkness, six artists come together to mark the drawing in of night. Their diverse and seductive interpretations, united by the subject of night’s blackness and quiet shadows, explore and reveal the idiosyncrasies, subtleties, and truths of the dark hours.
The subject of night – deepest night – is a dark and personal one. Little is known of this ‘other world’, a tapestry of shadows that absorbs a third of our lived experience. Research suggests that sleep was traditionally split into two segments, with a natural waking period in the middle of the night – echoes of this, scientists say, may be what keeps us awake in the early hours when worries and unfettered thoughts take over.
The six artists are: Henny Burnett · Susan Francis · Nick Grellier · Debbie Lee · Prudence Maltby · Corinna Spencer.
6) MARTYNA ZOLTASZEK, DEAR GREY CITY
20-29 NOVEMBER, KIT FORM, JAMAICA STUDIOS, BRISTOL
A solo exhibition of the Bristol-based painter, Martyna Zoltaszek. Dear Grey City is Zoltaszek’s love letter to her experience of growing up in Eastern Europe during the 80s and 90s, where drab long winters and concrete architecture formed the backdrop to a family home filled with trinkets, beautiful objects and books.
The show explores Zoltaszek’s habitual search for beauty in everyday objects and showcases her weaving of souvenirs from imagined worlds into the mundane, through artworks brimming with colour and life. Preview: Thursday 20th November, 18:00 – 21:00.
7) SCULPTING THE EARTH: GROUP SHOW
UNTIL 4 JANUARY, HOLBURNE MUSEUM, BATH
Sculpting the Earth brings together the ceramic works of three little-known women artists of the 20th century: Natalie Bevan, Psiche Hughes and Ann Stokes.
The ceramic art of all three artists finds echoes in the charming, figurative output of 18th-century porcelain factories such as Meissen and Bow, examples of which are held in the Holburne’s own collection. The exhibition highlights an alternative ceramic tradition that challenges established hierarchies of art and craft.
Though her work was rarely exhibited publicly, Ann Stokes (1922-2014) was a well-known presence in a particular circle of the London art world. Her works included vibrant plates and cups intended for use, as well as stand-alone, figurative pieces.
Natalie Bevan (1909–2007), whose clay figures include circus elephants, mythological scenes and domestic subjects, had just one solo exhibition in her lifetime – at the Anthony d’Offay Gallery in 1967.
Psiche Hughes’ (1939-2018) ceramic practice saw her produce vibrant, figurative works focused on representational imagery – animals, fruits and vegetables, buildings. Her work, like that of Bevan and Stokes, lies outside the bounds of formal art education, and yet belongs to a clear tradition of humorous ceramic sculpture in the modern period.
Together these three artists demonstrate an intuitive approach to modelling, producing forms that are humorous and insightful reflections of the external world they saw or imagined.
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
- UNTIL 5 NOVEMBER: WILD WITHIN: GROUP SHOW Brings together five Bristol-based female abstract artists CENTERSPACE, BRISTOL https://www.centrespace.org.uk/whats-on
WATCH OUT FOR
- BATH ANNUAL OPEN 18 OCTOBER – 10 JANUARY 120th Open Exhibition, open to non-members, is held in the Victoria Art Gallery, BATH https://www.bsaorg.uk/open-exhibitions
ART TRAIL
29-30 NOVEMBER North Bristol Artists Art Trail-Art lovers are invited into artists’ homes, studios and community venues in Ashley, Bishopston, Henleaze, Horfield, Redland and St Andrews. Featuring 110 artists and makers in over 50 venues showcasing an array of works including paintings, original prints, photographs, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, glassware with refreshments and helpful facilities along the route. https://northbristolartists.org.uk/
The Floating Circle 