New Immersive Exhibition Opened at South London Gallery – Leonardo Drew: UBIQUITY II
Come with us to the Press Preview of South London Gallery’s new immersive exhibition. American artist Leonardo Drew’s new large scale installation, ‘Leonardo Drew: UBIQUITY II’ takes over South London Gallery’s Main Gallery this summer.
@urbanadventurerldn [BLOG POST IN BIO] Come with us to the Press Preview 🗞️ of South London Gallery’s new immersive exhibition: 𝙇𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙤 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙬: 𝙐𝘽𝙄𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝙄𝙄 Leonardo Drew is an American contemporary artist known for his large scale explosive artworks 🧨 Drew first exhibited his works in the 1970s at the age of just 13, and his illustrations brought the attention of executives of the biggest comic book publishers, Marvel and DC 🦸🏻♂️ If you look closer, you’ll find lots of hidden references to Marvel and DC super heroes 👀 📍 South London Gallery | 65 Peckham Rd, London SE5 8UH 🚇(Nearest station: Peckham Rye. It’s 14-mins walk from the gallery) 📆 30th May – 7th Sept 2025 @South London Gallery #artgallery #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #southlondongallery #CapCut
♬ Superhero (Heroes & Villains) – Instrumental – Metro Boomin
Leonardo Drew: UBIQUITY II
Leonardo Drew
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Leonardo Drew is an American contemporary artist known for his large scale explosive artworks. He is currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York and San Antonio, Texas.
Drew first exhibited his works in the 1970s at the age of just 13, and his illustrations brought the attention of executives of the biggest comic book publishers, Marvel and DC.
His artworks have been shown in numerous galleries and private collections, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Tate, London; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and The Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
‘Leonardo Drew: UBIQUITY II’ is Drew’s first solo exhibition in a London institution and it completely takes over the Main Gallery of South London Gallery. The artwork covers the whole gallery from floor to ceiling, transforming it into a space that looks like it was hit by an apocalyptic natural disaster, an extreme weather event or as Drew calls it, “acts of God”.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Fragments of wood, scrap metal, glass and other eroding materials are scattered all around the main gallery, towering above visitors.
Visitors are invited to walk through the installation and re-think their believes about life and decay and explore the cyclical nature of existence from a new perspective.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Make sure you take time to observe the details because there are lots of hidden references to Marvel and DC comics and super heroes.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Drew creates his sculptures using natural materials and through process of burning, decay and oxidation.
He transforms and erodes the materials himself in his studio which involves a repetitive labour, but he never works with found objects because “there is already a history embedded in that material”. “I need to go through the rigours of touching it, living it,…become the weather.” – he explains why it is important for him as an artist to create a personal connection with the material he is working with.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The pieces, as they form a larger-than-life artwork together, play on the tension between order and chaos and represent the visual erosion of time.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Drew does not give title to his artworks because he believes everyone engages with his art differently; thus, the artworks carry different meanings to everybody.
This is why, Drew gives numbers to his works instead of title.
Practical Info
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Address
South London Gallery | 65 Peckham Rd, London SE5 8UH
(Nearest station: Peckham Rye. It’s 14-mins walk from the gallery)
Opening Times
Leonardo Drew: UBIQUITY II is open from 30th May – 7th Sept 2025
Mon: CLOSED
Tue: CLOSED
Wed: 12pm – 9pm
Thu – Sun: 12pm – 6pm
Tickets
FREE | NO booking required
Ready for your next adventure? You still have time to visit Japan House London’s exhibition: ‘The Craft of Carpentry: Drawing Life from Japan’s Forests’ which is running in cooperation with Takenaka Carpentry Tool Museum. The exhibition is focusing on Japanese woodwork traditions behind temples, shrines and joinery.