5 Standout Shows to See at Small Galleries This November
In this monthly roundup, we shine a spotlight on five stellar exhibitions taking place at small and rising galleries.
“How do I remember a space—particularly an empty one?” Szelit Cheung recently asked in an interview with Prestige Online. The Hong Kong–born artist searches for an answer in the oil paintings on view in “Mado” at Galerie Christian Lethert. “Mado” —meaning “window” in Japanese—is also the title of a series of oil paintings in which Cheung portrays several windows, particularly by illustrating golden light flowing into empty spaces. The titular body of painting works is accompanied by three other series, where Cheung explores how light can fill a room—“Kan,” “Door,” and “Folding Space.”
These minimalist, small-scale works include Door IV (all works 2023), which features two open doors against a dark green wall. From the portal-like entryways depicted, aurous orange light spills into the dark, empty room, drawing attention to the transformative power of light. Meanwhile, Folding Space IV depicts a dimly lit room with a spotlit opening, where shadows create an eerie, surreal space.
Having graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2012, Cheung now lives between Hong Kong and Melbourne. The 36-year-old artist has held solo exhibitions in Hong Kong with Rossi & Rossi and Touch Gallery.
Chinese artist Killion Huang felt acutely aware of his solitude after moving into a new studio space. There, he started to think about how being alone can shake one’s sense of identity. His latest paintings, shown in “Reflections” at EDJI Gallery, channel these moments of self-awareness and introspection into vulnerable snapshots of everyday life in domestic settings.
Among the standout works are Dayfall (all works 2024), depicting a pensive subject looking off into space against a curtained window, and The Goldfish, where a lone figure contemplates their reflected image in a wardrobe. Both use the mirror to symbolize self-perception. Huang’s simmering reds accent the dull pastel palette of these vulnerable scenes, and his gentle brushwork renders his subjects—standing in their bedrooms, gazing longingly, or lost in thought—with a tender touch.
Born in 1999 in Hangzhou, China, Huang graduated from New York’s School of Visual Arts in 2022. He presented his first solo exhibition at EDJI Gallery in November 2023.
Berlin-based artist duo Magdalena Wysocka & Claudio Pogo create grayscale prints using risography, a Japanese digital printing technique from the 1980s. Sourcing images from books, found photographs, and various archival materials, Wysocka and Pogo recontextualize these images into obscured or fragmented visuals. After almost a decade of experimentation, the duo has begun producing large-scale artworks, such as those featured at Open Doors Gallery in London.
Their practice embraces the technique’s inherent unpredictability and imperfections, allowing these “mistakes” to contribute to the final piece. For instance, Habit Pattern no.1 (2022) features a sequentially printed image of a hand holding a cigarette that varies in quality. These imperfections turn into a visual narrative as the original image appears to disintegrate in the grid.
Joining forces in 2016, Pogo and Wysocka come from different backgrounds. Pogo brought his expertise from running PogoBooks, a publishing and photography venture that he founded in 2010, while Wysocka has a strong background in printmaking and design, having earned her MA degree in printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, Poland.
Thomas Cameron adopts the role of the flâneur—a detached urban observer leisurely traversing the city, absorbing the sights without participating. In his paintings, the 32-year-old artist captures these snapshots of contemporary city life, depicting anonymous figures in overlooked, everyday moments, from staring at a cell phone to walking down the sidewalk. His latest exhibition at Canopy Collections, “Twenty-six days a year,” narrows in on individuals caught in the act of waiting.
These works include Delivery (all works 2024), depicting a figure clutching a brown bag of food while waiting for the elevator, and Dim Sum Chefs, portraying three cooks during a smoke break outside. In all these works, Cameron draws attention to the in-between moments, which can end up filling a surprising portion of our days.
A finalist for the Artsy Foundations Prize Summer 2024, Cameron graduated with an MA in fine arts from the City and Guilds of London Art School. His previous solo shows have been mounted by Canopy Collections and London-based nomadic gallery Taymour Grahne Projects.
Nigerian painter Destiny Oyibode always wanted to be an artist. He pursued this childhood dream at Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State, Nigeria, where he received his national diploma. However, his dream was suddenly interrupted—and nearly stopped altogether—by a severe illness that placed him in the hospital for a year.
His first solo exhibition with Ogirikan Art Gallery considers the weight of these childhood aspirations. “When I Grow Up” features a selection of Oyibode’s figurative paintings, each depicting children in their dream professions. The Voice (all works 2024), for instance, captures a boy as a future politician, while My Only Dream shows a young girl as a ballerina. The exhibition reflects how early ambitions shape identity and resilience, exploring how dreams endure despite life’s setbacks.
Upon recovering from his illness, Oyibode returned to Auchi Polytechnic, completing his higher national diploma in painting in 2018. After briefly teaching visual arts at a secondary school, he now dedicates himself to painting full-time in his studio in Benin City, Nigeria.
