Wilkinsons gallery stands out solidly at the end of Vyner Street (East London's trendy gallery…read morecentral). Its sizable, strong black exterior with one tall protruding window on the first floor draws on its heritage as a factory site, is very eye catching, and an exhibit in its own right. Inside the space is large and white with a large open staircase leading to the first floor. The interior does not distract from the art work at all, (as the outside may do), and the work represents a good range if international artists. I went to visit on a 'First Thursdays' night (where many galleries in London take part in staying open late on the first thursday of the month, often holding private views with drinks and snacks). This was in March and showing the work of Elizabeth Magill, who paints large canvas landscapes which really contain other levels of subtle reality, feeling and emotion such as memory, nostalgia and clarity. Her paintings looked magical and dreamy and were really enhanced by the atmosphere created in the Wilkinson gallery. Writing this makes me want to visit and see what they currently exhibiting right away!

Wilkinson is a gorgeous purpose-built gallery with excellent programming and a solid international…read morereputation on art-thick Vyner Street, just south of the canal. They specialize in presenting major shows in their expansive ground floor and first floor gallery spaces, as well as a supplementary, more experimental show in their "Project Space". Clearly no expense was spared in its design and construction, and in a city where space comes at a premium you will likely marvel at the amount of ground given simply for its foyer. Impressive.

Hales Gallery has been around for a long time, and it shows it's appreciated for the masters of…read moreModernism, Abstract Impressionism etc well. I have always enjoyed my visits immensely in this well laid-out and managed exhibition space and whilst they continue to show historical artists whilst explaining the historical construct around the environment they created in, etc, they continue to provide a venue for consideration and challenge.

Located in Shoreditch's Tea Building, this is definitely one of my favourite galleries. It consists…read moreof one large exhibition space, representing and showing work from people like Tomoko Takahashi, Bob & Roberta Smith, Trevor Appleson and Hew Locke. The current show of drawings and paintings by Jane Wilbraham is absolutely beautiful. Check out the website.

With the multitude of galleries in E2, it's difficult to know which to visit. I really like Maureen…read morePaley gallery, plainly because it has some really great exhibitions. Ok, so the space is small and not all that interesting but surely it's all about the art, no?! So, I'd recommend checking the website for their exhibitions; I saw a great Wolfman Tillmans (prominent photographer) exhibition here earlier this year, as well as a fantastic Bank Violets show, an artist famed for his collaboration with drone band Sunn o))) back in 2006. I'd really recommend checking Maureen Paley out if you're doing an E2 art crawl.

Being one of the first galleries to present art in the East End, the Maureen Paley gallery has been…read morea pioneer of the current scene. The gallery represents the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, Gillian Wearing and Rebecca Warren. The gallery itself is hidden down a side road near Bethnal Green, a larger gallery than some of its tiny east end competitors. The recent Wolfgang Tillmans show made good use of the space, the downstairs room used for his photographic installation and upstairs was divided for the screening of some of his films. As with the rest of the East End galleries, its always hit and miss unless you know and like the exhibiting artist, but the Maureen Paley is one to look out for, I'm always prepared to make a significant detour to fit it into a gallery day.

I first came here for the Michael Craig Martin Private view which was some time ago. The difference…read morebetween going to a private view in the Gagosian and a private view in other galleries is there is no wine, I might have been a bit early but I didn't see a glass in sight. The space itself is great though, with one main large room and two smaller rooms to each side, I've been in the gallery in New York as well and it's a similar layout. The location could be better, situated in Britannia Street so the nearest tube station is Kings Cross.

Huzzah for UK Yelp! Finally! So I am going to Yelp a two year old show and gallery visit for my…read more400th review. Nyah. This gallery was the art highlight (and only art visit since I went with and for my two teenage sons who abhor art galleries/museums) of my very short trip to London two years ago. I came to see the Francis Bacon triptychs and was not disappointed. For an added bonus, Damien Hirst's works were being shown as well. The gallery is pretty nondescript from the outside located on a small side street near the Kings Cross Station. The front belies the large, well-lighted space inside. The Bacon works were positively glowing. This space seems nicer than the New York Gagosian but maybe I was just enamored by the Bacon paintings.

This is a fantastic gallery, in the cellar of a beautiful old house in Barnet. The gallery is only…read moreopen a few weeks a year but always holds scultpures, paintings and metal work from amazing artists, like the owner of the house itself, John Brown. The garden also opens for a short period throughout the summer months and is the perfect host for larger sculptures and metal works. Highly recommended.

They have free admission on Friday afternoons as of August 2026. This is museum is a must visit in…read morethe SOHO neighborhood of London. The exhibits really make you think.

One of my last days in London, and I could not leave without going to a photo gallery! Glad I did…read more There was a piece on the top floor by Bieke Depoorter that was really engaging. And another work about Thamesmead that was equally as interesting. The showings rotate, so it's really luck of the draw as to what you'll see. The gift shop is epic. They have so many books that I wanted to get, but alas, I am but a disabled traveller, unfit for carry large volumes across the pond. Most importantly, they sell all types of film in the shop. Film and even cameras. Who needs candy when you can lick the delicious toxic chemicals of celluloid?

If you live in West London, a trip to the South London Gallery is a bit of a trek. The directions…read moreon the website say it's a 10 minute walk from Peckham Rye station. That's probably about right, but it felt much further - mind you, a good opportunity to taste a different flavour of London. The current installation by Thomas Hirschorn is well worth the visit, and I'm glad I made it just in time before closing. The book shop and cafe are also very inviting and I am sure to find another excuse soon.

Strange how great things can be right under your nose but you just don't get around to checking…read morethem out as often as you should do. Well for this resident of Nunhead the South London Gallery is a case in point; it's no more than a very leisurely 15 minute stroll from door to door but this Sunday was my first visit in an age. Thanks to some gentle prompting from B we decided to keep it local and take in some culture in Camberwell this weekend so we made our way down the ever busy Peckham Road to check out the Manon de Boer exhibition before it ends on 23 January (just my kind of arty Dutch film offering). This must be one of the most stunning exhibition spaces in the country let alone London. It has had a lot of work done on it in the last year or two, extending the facilities into the once derelict house next door, and there is now some more small scale exhibition space, a fantastic cafe and a beautiful garden which is home to the wonderful Clore Studio. There is also is a shop which sells a great selection of art, film and music books and magazines along with postcards and other interesting bits and pieces. Unlike most of the galleries in town, such as both the Tate and the Tate Modern which can be a nightmare a lot of the time, you will find this is quite a tranquil experience and you are unlikely to need to elbow your way through a crowd or clamber over a buggy to get sight of the work. Exhibitions here are free and there are various talks, live events and general arty "happenings" throughout the year which are either free or very reasonably priced. If you are into contemporary art or just fancy a decent lunch in some lovely surroundings this would be a very fine way to spend an afternoon south of the river. In February there is a retrospective look at the work of Goldsmiths graduates Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard which I would recommend.

This light contemporary space in West Smithfield is attractive with its floor to ceiling glass…read morewindow front, allowing the art to be seen from across the street. There was work 15 living artists when I visited, all from Barcelona, and there was a predominantly 'street art feel' to the exhibition. However the shows change every couple of weeks and the gallery does not specialise in any one particular style of artwork. It was totally unintimidating and although my friend and I were the only two in there, we felt at ease taking our time around the room. It is nice place to pop in when passing by, and to enjoy a creative talent of living artists without needing to dedicate a whole morning or day to doing so.

This gallery for hire is a well appointed space to the north (City-side) of Smithfield Market. Very…read morenear Farringdon Station (and actually not too far from Barbican or St Paul's Tube stations), it's nearby a handful of excellent restaurants, cafes and pubs ... as well as some interesting sites such as St Bartholew's Church and, of course, Smithfield Market. The lighting is awesome (surprisingly, this isn't always the case in London galleries) and the exhibition space is open and "vanilla" enough for any variety of shows to slide in and set up. I was there recently for the awesome Barcelona XL: Homage to Catalonia (http://ontolondon.blogspot.com/2008/12/barcelona-xl-spanish-street-art-at.html) street art exhibition. I was really blown away by that show and felt that the gallery was perfect for displaying the exhibition's different artists and their varying styles. It wasn's my first time to the Smithfield Gallery but it was the catalyst which will now ensure I keep better track of what' s on there.