The Summer Exhibition is a celebration of contemporary art and architecture. Anyone can enter their work – leading artists, household names, new and emerging talent – and it provides a platform for the artistic community to showcase what they’re doing.
Curator Yinka Shonibare RA, a British-Nigerian artist led the co-ordination of the exhibition whose theme was “Reclaiming Magic”. It aimed to celebrate art and creativity, particularly by artists from diverse backgrounds.
The exhibition featured over 1,300 works chosen from a pool of over 15,000 submissions, highlighting artists who might have been previously marginalised. It featured a broader range of materials than in the past, including those traditionally considered “craft” such as quilt, crochet and ceramic.