Six Artists to Watch at Frieze London 2024

Frieze London is one of the best places to discover and view newly created work while learning about both emerging and established names in the international contemporary art scene. Here we have selected six artists to watch and highlighted where you can find them among the extensive array of gallery booths in Frieze London, the section of the fair dedicated to contemporary art.

1. Lucía Pizzani, Cecilia Brunson Projects

Pizzani’s work often explores themes related to the body, nature, and transformation, frequently engaging with organic materials and processes. The London-based Venezuelan artist is presenting a project this year at Frieze with Cecilia Brunson Projects. Part of Smoke, the themed section of the fair curated by Pablo José Ramírez, the solo presentation features a series of clay sculptures imprinted with native plants, some of which were produced during a residency in Venezuela. The pieces reflect on traditional ceramic practices, local heritage, and community.

2. Adán Vallecillo, Galería Extra

Adán Vallecillo is an artist from Honduras who is interested in the entanglements between sociology and visual culture. At Frieze London, Vallecillo is presenting a long-term project entitled Bonanzas efímeras. The project is also part of the themed section Smoke and gathers a series of works that approach different textiles, patterns, and fabrics. By investigating ongoing processes of colonisation, the artist creates a thread of aesthetic genealogies informed by Latin American identity and culture.

3. Peter Uka, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery

Peter Uka’s solo presentation is part of the Artist-to-Artist curated section, which offers solo presentations by emerging artists curated and selected by established, celebrated international artists. The Nigerian artist Peter Uka was selected by Hurvin Anderson, and his vibrant figurative paintings are showcased by Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Uka’s paintings are deeply rooted in Nigerian contemporary life and culture, offering a rich and colourful perspective on the nation’s memory, history, and people.

4. Tania Ximena, Llano

This year, Frieze London also presents Focus, showcasing some of the most thought-provoking artwork being made today and gathering young galleries spanning five continents at the fair. The Mexican art platform Llano, which focuses on research-based art projects, presents a Tania Ximena presents a three-channel video by artist Tania Ximena. The work depicts and documents Mexico’s last living glacier, the Jamapa, and addresses issues of climate change, environmental crises, and the resilience of local communities.

5. Hannah Morgan, Xxira Hii

British artist Hannah Morgan is also featured in the Focus section, where she presents the series Animula with Xxira Hii. Morgan explores the intersections between medieval and speculative sculptures in the context of alabaster mines in the UK. The presentation showcases carvings, steelwork, pewter casts, clay, video and soundscape. The vastness and unseen nature of excavation explores relationships of matter and organism, mourning, and primal responses.

6. Nils Alix-Tabeling, Public Gallery

Nils Alix-Tabeling presents a solo booth with Public Gallery. The French artist is known for his multimedia practice that engages with folk narratives, incorporating visual explorations of spiritual traditions, mysticism, and the occult. His works also delve into queer identities, viewed through the lenses of human and nonhuman futures. This solo presentation is part of the Focus section.

Caroline Fucci for London Art Walk
October 2024