The Easel

3rd February 2026

A New British Museum Exhibition Peels Back the Layers of the Samurai Myth

Jimmy Chen | The Collector | 12th January 2026

This exhibition illustrates the inseparability of art and culture. Samurai emerged as a warrior class in the protracted feudal conflicts of Japan’s 12th century. Once peace was established in 1615, samurai moved into administrative or academic roles and were expected to support the arts and be attentive to religious matters.  A significant proportion were women. Codes of honour are mostly myths arising from avid Western interest. If all this sounds like far away history, consider this name – Darth Vader.

23rd December 2025

Playing with Fire: Edmund de Waal and Axel Salto

Beth Williamson | Studio International | 8th December 2025

Accomplished in multiple artforms, Salto is now regarded as a great ceramicist. He spent time in Paris in the 1920’s before returning to Denmark to make the highly expressive stoneware that revolutionised “the idea of the vessel”. These works have “budding, sprouting, and fluted surface textures that appear to ripple and burst with life”. Rather enigmatically, Salto talked about ‘the burning now”, the moment of transformation. Said he “I have always preferred burning mistakes to tepid accuracies”. A video (4 min) is here.

Mrinalini Mukherjee and the giants of Indian art

Laura Cumming | The Observer | 1st November 2025

India’s burgeoning economic status is reflected in a growing number of international exhibitions that showcase its art and the story of Indian modernism. The most recent is “dazzlingly diverse”, though dominated by the surreal sculptures of Mukherjee. Made from tightly woven coloured fibre, they display both her interest in the natural world and India’s richly illustrated spiritual world. Mukherjee was a pioneering modernist making art that was “international, not local.”, states one writer. “A revelation.”

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