The exhibitions you must see this July
Summer has officially arrived. Here's our guide to the exhibitions you won't want to miss this July across the UK.
As we enter the second half of the year and the official start of the summer season, unmissable exhibitions open across the UK to ensure that you've got lots to see to stay inspired.
From a celebration of a monumental group exhibition of 11 Black and Asian women artists at the ICA in London to a first-of-its-kind show of William Kentridge's sculptures at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, you are not going to want to miss these must-see exhibitions.
And with a National Art Pass, you'll make savings at every venue.
Discover some of the best exhibitions to see in July with an Art Pass
Connecting Thin Black Lines 1985 – 2025
In 1985, Lubaina Himid staged The Thin Black Line at the ICA, a groundbreaking exhibition that spotlighted 11 Black and Asian women artists in Britain. This summer, Himid brings this group of artists back together to re-examine how their works are interpreted today. From a new neon commission by Chila Kumari Singh Burman lighting up the building to Claudette Johnson's iconic portraits of Black women, this major exhibition is jam-packed with inspiring works of art.
William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity
Witness a historic first: a museum exhibition exclusively dedicated to William Kentridge's monumental sculptures outside of South Africa. Over 40 works go on display across the Underground Gallery and in the grounds of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, inspired by the artist's interest in puppetry, film and theatre props.
Monkeys: Our Primate Family
Meet some of the rarest monkeys on earth in this fascinating, family-friendly exhibition. From lemurs to lorises, over 50 taxidermy primates are presented as they would be in their natural habitats – climbing trees, holding their babies, hunting for food, and more – to reveal their complex social systems and how they've adapted over time.
Emma Talbot: How We Learn to Love
Contemplate the contemporary human experience in Emma Talbot's lyrical works that explore themes of birth, death, love, technology and communication. Don't miss the exhibition's centrepiece: The Tragedies. This monumental installation examines tragedy and acts of aggression, drawing on its representations in Greek mythology to understand the urge to kill in order to gain control.
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Discover Emily Kam Kngwarray, a celebrated Australian artist whose powerful paintings chart her life as an Indigenous Anmatyerr woman and her detailed knowledge of her Country. Her colossal paintings use layered motifs to illustrate the diverse plants, animals and geological features of the surrounding desert. It is important to note that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are deeply connected with their Country and ancestral lands, a connection that traverses spiritual, social and geographical borders.
Lubaina Himid with Magda Stawarska: Another Chance Encounter
If you're not able to get to the ICA's exhibition – curated by and including works by Lubainia Himid – or it has inspired you to see even more of her brilliant paintings, then you absolutely cannot miss this exhibition of her paintings and an installation created with Magda Stawarska. These works will ask important questions about overlooked life stories, who is excluded from narratives, and what objects we elect to leave behind as mementos.