British Art Show 10 review – a bold and brilliant exploration of who the British really are
The British Art Show 10 has opened at three Coventry venues with 37 artists, offering a major contemporary art survey that confronts fundamental questions about British identity. Curated by Ekow Eshun and titled "A Chorus of Strangers", the exhibition encourages empathy for migrants and the displaced by drawing on early modern texts and exploring themes of difference, protest, collapse and regeneration. The show brings together diverse artistic media to reflect the messy complexity of modern Britain.
The works span two primary venues: the Warwick Arts Centre's Mead Gallery, which houses largely dream-like paintings by artists including Matthew Krishanu and Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, and the Delia Derbyshire Building at Coventry University, where larger installations hold sway. Key pieces include Hannah Perry's Rage Fluids, a vibrating car body wrap on steel frames, and Jasleen Kaur's Peace and., constructed from scaffolding needles that reference Coventry's post-war reconstruction and ask who needs holding as things collapse. All works were created within the last five years by artists identified as British.
- British Art Show 10 explores contemporary identity through 37 artists across Coventry venues.
- Exhibition theme encourages empathy for migrants and those seen as outsiders.
- Show features paintings, installations and mixed media examining British society's complexity.
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The British Art Show 10 is a major exhibition of contemporary art that has opened across three venues in Coventry. It features work by 37 artists, all created within the last five years. The exhibition is part of a series that runs every few years to showcase contemporary British art practice.
Curated by Ekow Eshun and titled "A Chorus of Strangers", the exhibition explores questions about British identity, with a particular focus on migration, displacement and outsider experiences. The diverse artworks—ranging from paintings and installations to unconventional materials—examine themes of difference, protest, collapse and regeneration. Works are displayed across two primary venues: the Warwick Arts Centre's Mead Gallery and the Delia Derbyshire Building at Coventry University.
The exhibition matters because it directly addresses questions central to contemporary British debate, particularly around migration, belonging and identity. Rather than offering straightforward answers, the artists present the complexity of modern British life and invite viewers to consider perspectives different from their own. By bringing together 37 different artistic voices, the exhibition demonstrates how artists are engaging with these issues today.