London’s Chinatown is a one-stop shop for dim sum, crispy duck and bubble tea. But for one week only the China Exchange on Gerrard Street is offering Chinese culture of a different kind, with a pop-up selling show of paintings and sculptures by 15 contemporary artists. Circle Lines (until 14 February) is the first exhibition organised by the non-profit Hurun Art Foundation outside China. Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun’s British founder, says he hopes to “capture the momentum of Chinese New Year” in bringing this “up-and-coming” generation of artists to international attention. Step in from the lantern-lined streets to see Wang Tiande’s burnt calligraphy (made with ink and cigarette butts), Qiu Jie’s Pop-inspired pencil drawings (feat. a cat-headed Chairman Mao) and Wang Xiaojin’s collaged monkey paintings. Happy Year of the Monkey!
