Arthur Timothy’s paintings of deserted beaches, street vendors and abandoned buildings in Sierra Leone will make you stop and stare. Painted from holiday pictures from 1985 until the present day, they showcase the country’s great natural beauty and resilience in the face of adversity, while also revealing its ongoing transformation.

As you meander around the gallery, you’ll encounter the people, places and architecture of this ‘promised land’. (Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, was founded in 1792 as a settlement for freed African American, Afro-Caribbean and liberated African slaves.) Some of the paintings are deeply personal; others less so. What unites them all, though, is ‘the ongoing triumph of beauty over hardship.’

Using vibrant tones and intriguing angles, Timothy offers a nuanced insight into the place he grew up and shows that despite the struggles endured in the wake of slavery, colonialism, Ebola and Civil War, Sierra Leone is a place of outstanding majesty. Catch it while you can!

In June 2022 George Westren, a little-known artist who sadly died in 2021 during the UK’s Covid lockdown, made news headlines across the world. Why? Because a neighbour recovered Westren’s portfolio of intricate op art drawings from a skip, following a house clearance one year after his death.

Not surprisingly, Westren’s artwork went viral on Twitter, where his story of humble beginnings, homelessness, addiction and eventual salvation through art touched hundreds of thousands of people. Funds raised through the sale of a small run of prints helped to preserve, catalogue and now exhibit Westren’s artwork.

On the Straight and Narrow features more than 40 works from across Westren’s life. You’ll encounter his simple ‘tunnel’ designs, pulsating stars, battling chevrons, interlocking spears and protruding 3D edges, which hover between subtle op art illusion and muscular, graphic clarity. Curated by Alan Warburton, the neighbour who rescued the works, this captivating free and exhibition presents an unparalleled insight into Westren’s life and art.

‘For George, art was a means of transformation and salvation,’ says Warburton. ‘For those touched by his story, it is a symbol of hope in the face of adversity.’ What better way to start the year?