The exhibitions you must see this August

Celebrated for his distinctive style of portrait painting, Lucian Freud captured the likenesses of famous faces including the artist Francis Bacon in 1952 and supermodel Kate Moss in 2002, as well as those of his close friends and family. This major exhibition covers his entire career, from early experiments with surrealism to intimate portraits.

A major player in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s-70s, Sutapa Biswas often explores themes of dislocation and belonging in her work. This exhibition includes the new film Lumen, supported by Art Fund, which looks at the complex issue of migration, as well as a collection of drawings, photography and moving image.

Tokyo is constantly reinventing its image, from the home of the historic Tokugawa shoguns in the 1600s to the dynamic centre of art and culture it is today. Explore 400 years of one of the world’s most vibrant and creative cities through photography, film, woodwork, historic folding screens and more, in this fascinating exhibition.

A collection of intriguing creature-like objects have taken up residence at Tate St Ives, courtesy of sculpture and installation artist Haegue Yang. The South Korean artist is known for manipulating ordinary household objects to create whimsical sculptures, exploring themes of enlightenment and mysticism through immersive art.

Explore the constantly evolving landscape of photojournalism in this exhibition of images drawn from the Guardian’s picture library. The exhibition demonstrates the power of imagery to enhance certain narratives in the news, and particular highlights on display include photos from strikes, demonstrations and protests over the years.

Featuring exquisite designs by names such as Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, this exhibition charts the evolution of popular footwear over 300 years. There are shoes worn by ballerinas, monarchs, artists and even a Strictly Come Dancing contestant, plus the exhibition includes a pair of red velvet mules dating back to the 1690s.

Examining the relationship humans have to nature and destruction, this exhibition includes a film work supported by Art Fund. Vertigo Sea by artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah explores how we are connected to the sea, and its role in a dark history of slavery, migration and conflict on water.

Fun fact: the celebrated tapestry weaver Archie Brennan also holds the title of Mr Scotland as one of his great accolades! His influence on modern weaving had a huge effect on textiles in the 20th century, and due to his unusual choice of medium (tapestry), he is considered an unrecognised star of pop art – until now. This exhibition was made possible thanks to the brilliant funders who supported Dovecot Studios' Art Happens crowdfunding campaign, and includes over 80 delicate tapestries plus a whole hoard of archive material spanning Brennan's career.

Contemporary artist Samson Kambalu creates a 'utopia of racial justice' with a multimedia installation at Modern Art Oxford, drawing on the influence that the Black Lives Matter movement and Covid-19 pandemic have had on attitudes towards race and discrimination in the UK. The exhibition combines video, text, images and sculpture, and includes elements of Kambalu’s own heritage growing up living under a dictatorship.