Iconomorphosis, a group exhibition exploring how artworks disclose different meanings depending on cultural context, opens 22 January at Lewisham Arthouse. Curated by visual artist Othello De’Souza-Hartley, the show brings together eight artists whose work challenges viewers to look beyond surface appearances and question assumed truths.
The exhibition spans painting, sculpture, film and performance, with artists using visual symbolism to examine tensions between personal identity and external perceptions. London-based filmmaker Blu Smith transforms historical archival footage into new narratives through a postcolonial lens, while sculptor Sonia E Barrett reworks historical objects to reclaim storytelling from marginalised perspectives.
Other artists take different approaches to similar themes: Kamalishe Hiraldo, Arlene Wandera and Abdollah Nafisi use discarded and repurposed materials to explore questions of belonging, while Iran-born interdisciplinary artist Tasalla Tabasom examines body memory through gendered and queer perspectives.
The exhibition opens with a private view on Friday 23 January from 6-9pm at the gallery’s London location (140 Lewisham Way, SE14 6PD). Iconomorphosis runs through 1 February, open Wednesdays to Sundays 12-6pm, and concludes with an artist talk on the final day.
