London: A December-Start Cultural Season

1. Hyakkō: 100+ Makers from Japan — Japan House London

Dates: Opening 3 December 2025 – 10 May 2026
London’s winter art season begins in early December when Japan House unveils Hyakkō, a landmark exhibition featuring over 100 Japanese artisans. Expect ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork and contemporary design—an elegant, tactile counterpoint to the season’s darker days. This is one of the UK’s most significant Japanese craft showcases for 2025–26 and ideal for travellers drawn to design-led culture.

Why see it: A multisensory journey into Japanese craftsmanship, opening precisely in winter.

2. Turner & Constable: The Rivalry — Tate Britain

Dates: Opening 27 November 2025 – 12 April 2026
Although opening just days before December, this major winter exhibition is fully accessible from 1 December onward. Tate Britain’s blockbuster pairing of Turner and Constable explores the artistic tension, techniques and landscapes that shaped British painting. Deeply atmospheric and beautifully matched to winter’s mood, this exhibition anchors London’s cultural calendar through the cold season.

Why see it: A masterful exploration of British art, running throughout winter and into spring.

New York: Winter with Modern Icons

3. Wifredo Lam: When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream — Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Dates: 10 November 2025 – 28 March 2026
Fully open from 1 December 2025, this MoMA exhibition presents a major survey of Wifredo Lam’s surrealist-inspired forms, Afro-Caribbean identity and global modernist influence. It will be one of New York’s defining cultural moments of the winter season, ideal for travellers seeking depth, colour and narrative power.

Why see it: A long-overdue retrospective of one of modernism’s most influential global artists.

Tokyo: New Cultural Horizons for Winter 2025–26

4. Winter Contemporary Art Show — Hiromart Gallery, Tokyo

Tokyo’s winter art season extends beyond its major museums, with smaller, design-forward galleries offering some of the city’s most compelling contemporary showcases. One standout for December 2025 is the Winter Contemporary Art Show at Hiromart Gallery, an independent gallery known for championing emerging and mid-career artists across painting, mixed media, printmaking and conceptual work. The Winter Contemporary Art Show brings together a curated selection of artists whose works explore colour, texture, form and quiet narratives—perfectly in tune with the reflective mood of the season. Hiromart’s exhibitions are intimate and thoughtfully paced, allowing for a close encounter with contemporary Japanese and international art in a calm, studio-like setting.

Why see it: For a quieter, more personal experience of Tokyo’s art scene—design-forward, contemporary, and ideal for winter travellers seeking culture beyond the large institutions.

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