Comment | Catherine Opie shows us that in dark times, looking for joy can be radical

The artist Catherine Opie is currently the subject of a major three-decade portrait survey, 'To Be Seen', at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The exhibition highlights Opie’s career-long commitment to representing the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the leather dyke scene in Los Angeles, through a lens that balances defiance with playfulness. Even her most provocative works, such as the 1993 self-portrait featuring a domestic scene carved into her back, are revealed to contain elements of humor and historical allusion that counter the despair of the AIDS crisis and personal heartbreak.

Pride of place: the rise of LGBTQ+ art in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's art scene is witnessing a significant rise in the visibility and institutional embrace of LGBTQ+ art, particularly during its annual Art Week. Exhibitions like the Sunpride Foundation's 'Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III' at Tai Kwun Contemporary have acted as major accelerants, moving queer discourse from semi-private contexts into prominent public institutions.

See the Spectacular Winners of Smithsonian Magazine’s 23rd Annual Photography Contest

Smithsonian Magazine has announced the winners of its 23rd annual photography contest, selecting top honors from over 17,000 submissions spanning 108 countries. The Grand Prize was awarded to Jacqueline Burke, a veterinarian and photographer, for her image "The Punk Rockers," which captures three egret chicks with mohawk-like plumage at a New Jersey rookery. Other category winners highlighted diverse subjects, including an abstract portrait by Irina Denisova and a spiritual scene of a devotee in Varanasi by Arun Kumar Nalimela.

Washburn student exhibition highlights diverse artistic talent

The Mulvane Art Museum recently hosted the Washburn University student exhibition reception, a juried showcase featuring a diverse range of student works selected by Kansas City artist Harold Smith. The event highlighted various artistic expressions, from oil paintings and wooden mandalas to photography, and served as a platform for announcing several honors, including the prestigious 2026 Charles and Margaret Pollak Award won by student Lauren Miller.

Reception for Resilience Exhibit

The Ucross Art Gallery hosted an artists’ reception for its latest exhibition, "Resilience," which showcases the work of the 2025 Ucross Fellowship for Native American Artists recipients. Curated by Marwin Begaye, the show features a diverse range of media including sculpture by Gina Herrera, mixed-media works by Wade Patton, and visual and performance art by Sarah Ortegon HighWalking, alongside photography and poetry by writer Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle. The event was highlighted by a collaborative performance involving the Jingle Dress Dance and live woodblock printing.

First Nations artists launch UMI Arts season with vibrant double exhibition opening

UMI Arts has officially launched its 2026 exhibition season in Far North Queensland with the opening of two concurrent group exhibitions, "The Summer Show 2026" and "You & Me 2026." The showcase features nearly 60 artworks by 18 First Nations artists, spanning various mediums including painting, ceramics, weaving, and sculpture. The collection highlights the deep connection to Country and cultural resilience of both emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners.

Unbridled Imagination, Welcoming the New Year on Horseback — The 2026 Horse Zodiac Art Exhibition

天马行空·马上迎新——2026马·生肖艺术大展

The 2026 'Horse' Zodiac Art Exhibition opened at the Shanghai Library East Branch on January 28th. This annual event, now in its fourth year, showcases over 200 selected works from more than 7,000 global submissions, featuring diverse mediums like traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, sculpture, installation, and digital art. The exhibition is structured into four sections: a special invitation section with works by renowned Shanghai artists, a three-dimensional works section, a traditional art section, and a digital art section.

Studio Joli launches new year with Canvas Caribbean

Studio Joli has launched its 2026 programming with a new exhibition titled "Artistic Expressions" presented by Canvas Caribbean, an artists' group formed in 2004 by graduates of the visual arts programmes of the University of the West Indies (UWI). The show features works by six members—Leona Fabien, Adele Bynoe, Raymond Alexander, Kathy Farabi, Tricia Ward, and Vejaya Mungal—spanning vibrant florals on silk, bold wildlife in acrylic, faceted copper, watercolours, and mixed media. The exhibition opens on January 21 and runs through February 2 at Studio Joli in St James, Trinidad.

Art Basel Miami Beach Diary: big feet, big muscles and big voices descend on Miami

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 has kicked off with a series of high-energy events, including a Japanese women's wrestling match at the Miami Beach Bandshell featuring the Sukeban league, where Ichigo Sayaka was crowned victor with a belt designed by Marc Newson. The fair also features a performance by Diana Ross at Alex Prager's Mirage Factory launch, a set by rapper 2 Chainz at Soho Beach House, and notable artworks such as Sadao Hasegawa's erotic paintings at Garth Greenan's stand and Pat Oleszko's 13ft-tall inflatable 'Big Foots' at the David Peter Francis stand.

easter island 3d map carved statues 2721596

Researchers from Binghamton University, at the request of an indigenous community group on Easter Island, have created a high-resolution 3D model of the Rono Raraku quarry, where 95 percent of the island's moai statues were carved. Using drone flights and over 11,000 overlapping photographs stitched together via photogrammetry, the model documents the quarry in unprecedented detail, including 133 quarried voids, 400-plus unfinished moai, and evidence of 30 distinct clan-based carving areas. The model is freely available online and was motivated by a 2022 wildfire that threatened the site.