From the November 2026 issue of Apollo.
From Hokusai’s views of Mount Fuji at Dulwich Picture Gallery to ‘Korea’ at the British Museum, there is plenty of Asian art to see in London this month. It’s this fertile atmosphere that Asian Art in London (AAL) – a 12-day event of exhibitions by leading dealers, auctions and more – wants to tap in to, according to Mark Slaats, the new chairman of AAL. This year the event is partnering with Lapada, the UK’s largest association of art and antiques dealers, and there are plans to put on a new summer event next year.
Asian Art in London is at various venues from 29 October–10 November.
Apollo’s highlights
Prince Sulaiman Jah in Procession, c. 1804, Deccan, Hyderabad, attr. to Venkatchellam
Francesca Galloway, London
The central figure in this riotous scene, riding a horse in jubilant fashion, is Sulaiman Jah, son of the ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty of Hyderabad. The work once belonged to James Achilles Kirkpatrick, a Madras-born Brit who married a 14-year-old girl of royal Mughal descent – an episode made famous by William Dalrymple in his book White Mughals (2002).
‘Peacock feather’ pattern jar, Tang dynasty (618–906)
Alice Williamson, Asian Art, London
Alice Williamson is mounting an eclectic exhibition of Chinese and Korean objects at Daniel Crouch Rare Books in
St James’s. Among the standout pieces is this jar decorated with a peacock-feather pattern. The glaze used is known as sancai and includes cobalt blue, an expensive and rare ingredient that was reserved for people from the highest echelons of Tang society.
A Sea Monster Devouring a Ship, c. 1780–1800, India, Provincial Mughal probably Awadh
Runjeet Singh, Leamington Spa
Look out for this watercolour on display in Runjeet Singh’s show at the Lavery Pavilion in South Kensington. The work comes from what once would have been a larger album and shows figurative traits, such as faces in three-quarter profile, that display a knowledge of both Persian and European art.
Archaistic vessel, 18th century, ‘fanghu’, Qing dynasty
Slaats Fine Art, Epping
‘Fanghu’ vessels – a rectangular, almost pear-shaped style of container – were popular in ancient China. Later dynasties, such as the Song, Ming and Qing, sought to imitate the shape, resulting in objects such as this bronze vase from the 18th century, decorated with fine inlaid silver and gold and distinctive hooked flanges.
International gallery highlights
Still Life, Then and Now
Until 18 December
Robilant, London
Still life was throughout much of art history considered unfashionable or unskilled, but, this exhibition argues, the ubiquity and longevity of the genre are unarguable – and it has produced some masterpieces over the centuries. Some 400 years of art are on show at Robilant – and in the lushly illustrated accompanying catalogue – from Francisco de Zurbarán’s exquisite sheep lying with its legs tied together (c. 1635–40) and several Dutch vanitas paintings to modern and contemporary works by Odilon Redon, Philip Guston, Andy Warhol, Poppy Jones and others.
Thaddeus Mosley: Early Works (1954–1968)
13 November–December
Karma, New York
Karma is marking the opening of its latest space, in Tribeca, with an exhibition dedicated to the sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, who died in March at the age of 99. A self-taught artist who came to public attention later in life, Mosley is best known for large abstract sculptures made from discarded wood, though he later began incorporating other materials, including bronze, stone and glass, into his practice. The show focuses on the early period of his career.
Quiescence: The Body At Rest
12 November–19 December
Corvi-Mora, London
Julian Stair is part of a generation of extraordinary potters that includes Edmund de Waal and Jennifer Lee. His work is perhaps the simplest of this cohort yet that simplicity belies a serious thoughtfulness and rigour. Having reimagined the historical dinner service in his exhibition ‘Quotidian’ and rethought how ceramics are used in ‘Equivalence’ (both at Corvi-Mora), Stair now brings his third solo show to the gallery, which revolves around the subject of pause.
Nairy Baghramian: Nameless
11 November–16 January 2027
Marian Goodman Gallery, New York
This Iranian-German artist is difficult to pin down. She works across multiple media, including sculpture, drawing and photography, and the one constant in her work is a sense of possibility. This show follows on from an exhibition of the same name at WIELS in Brussels (2025–26). The artist presented what she called ‘side leaps’, or objects that had not been allowed to become fully realised sculptures, as well as restrained works in neon.
Fairs in focus
PAN Amsterdam
1–8 November
RAI Amsterdam
As ever, PAN Amsterdam celebrates the art market in all its eclecticism. This year the fair has chosen the fashion designer Tess van Zalinge to be its ambassador and artist in residence, and fittingly one of the guiding themes of the fair is craftsmanship. Look out, then, for pieces of Murano glass, vintage watches, jewellery and Japanese lacquer works, as well as a healthy selection of Old Master paintings and works on paper.
Frieze Abu Dhabi
19–22 November
Manarat Al Saadiyat
The first edition of Frieze’s latest venture arrives this month in the Saadiyat cultural district of Abu Dhabi. Overseen by Dyala Nusseibeh, this is one of the smaller events in the Frieze roster, with 84 exhibitors. Unsurprisingly there is a strong focus on Asia, with galleries including The Third Line, Jhaveri Contemporary and many more taking part. There
is even a Frieze Masters Abu Dhabi section, where visitors can pore over ancient artefacts.
From the November 2026 issue of Apollo.
