CandyLion Art Guide / Spring 2026

Spring is finally here and the art world has plenty to see, from Gwen John's extraordinary collection, to unique Japanese prints, to the artistry behind legendary fashion shows. Here's our top five exhibitions from around the UK, opening and running through Spring 2026.

Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends

12th Feb - 15th Nov, Young V&A, London

See Wallace & Gromit, Morph, Shaun the Sheep and more in an exhibition celebrating Aardman’s 50th anniversary year. Learn about the animation company's iconic characters and worlds, as well as their craft and storytelling. There are more than 150 items on display, including never-before-seen models, sets, and storyboards from Aardman’s archives.

> Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends - Young V&A

Tracey Emin: A Second Life

27th Feb - 31st Aug, Tate Modern, London

Tracey Emin is one of the most important contemporary artists of her generation. Journey through 40 years of Tracey's unapologetic career. From painting to installation, she blurs public and private boundaries to create works that feature passion, pain and healing.

> Tracy Emin: A Second Life - Tate Modern

Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show

3rd Apr - 17th Jan, V&A, Dundee

Celebrating legendary shows by Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more, this exhibition unveils how seasonal collections are transformed into spectacular fashion events.

> Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show - V&A

Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige

14th Mar – 15th Nov, The Whitworth, Manchester

Experience beautiful and intricate ukiyo-e prints from Edo-period Japan. Ukiyo-e, meaning "pictures of the floating world", were colourful woodblock prints that captured scenes of travel, nature and popular culture during a time of peace and creativity in Japan's history.

> Beneath the Great Wave: Hokusai and Hiroshige - The Whitworth
> Katsushika Hokusai article on CandyLion

Gwen John: Strange Beauties

7th Feb - 28th Jun, National Museum, Cardiff

She saw the world differently - quietly, attentively, and with extraordinary depth. Experience the quiet intensity of Gwen John, a trailblazer for 20th-century female artists. It is the first major collection of her work in over forty years, and it marks her 150th birthday.

> Gwen John: Strange Beauties - National Museum