Hope you're keeping well on yet another slushy day in Toronto. I'm back from some wonderful work and pleasure-related travel to Mexico City and Manhattan; you'll find my thoughts on NYC below, and details on the best in fashion, design and art in CDMX in the forthcoming May issue of Globe Style Advisor – plus there are a few words on some of my favourite discoveries from the Zona Maco art fair further on in this email.
Before I whisk you away to a few destinations, a gentle reminder to vote on Thursday!
I've stayed in The Bowery nabe of New York City several times now over the years, from finding a Fashion Week home base at CitizenM to splashing out for a room at Public on our first post-lockdown vacation. More recently, I've booked twice at Untitled at 3 Freeman Alley, and I continue to sing its praises.
On our just-passed sojourn, I was reminded of how convenient a location The Bowery is for those who are keen to see as much art as possible. Sure, Soho is a skip away if you're looking to do some shopping – as is the fabulous resto Foul Witch, where we had dinner one night. But from the corner of Bowery and Delancey Street, for example, you're also within a 10-20 minute walk from the many galleries of Tribeca and the Lower East Side.
To wit, we were jazzed to catch the final few days of the beautiful shows at Perrotin, including multidisciplinary artist Mathilde Denize's scrumptious solo exhibition Sound of Figures; see photos above and below that I took while walking through it totally mesmerized.
On our way out, I purchased the beautiful book The Secret Language of Flowers: Notes on the Hidden Meanings of Flowers in Art by Jean-Michel Othoniel, who conceived of one of my favourite Paris attractions, Le Kiosque des noctambules. As I was paying, I was told a bit more about Mathilde's show and her reuse of materials from theatrical productions to create the elaborate garments on view, which were suspended from what I thought were the most delightful fixtures. Funny how much of a difference the attention to detail can make for me!
Just up the street, we went to Toronto-born Hannah Traore's gallery to check out the Guerrilla Girls show (the art activism collective's first at a commercial gallery) and the opening of Hassan Hajjaj's exuberant photography exhibition, People of My Time.
Note: The New Museum on Bowery is still under renovation, but is yet another example of the area's artistic bounty. The nabe's also a perfect spot to stay if you plan on taking in the sights on Museum Mile or at independent galleries close to Central Park, as the 6 train from Bleecker Street will take you up there in half an hour in a straight shot; we saw the invigorating Orphism show at the Guggenheim, and a series of sublime ceramics by Takuro Kuwata at Salon 94 (see below).
In the mood to head south? The Brooklyn Museum (and the borough's Botanic Garden) are also a brief subway ride away from The Bowery. And I mentioned Tribeca: The new walkable-from-Bowery flagship location of Jack Shainman Gallery, presently boasting a brilliant show by Nick Cave, is a must-see space there.
Above all these riches, I was happiest to finally stroll through the Luna Luna exhibition at The Shed. I don't want to spoil some of my favourite parts in case you're going – and yes, there's more to this experience than simply gawking at amusement park rides and attractions crafted by the likes of Keith Haring, Sonia Delaunay, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Kenny Scharf (see his swing ride below).
ZONA MACO ART FAIR FAVES
My time at Latin America's largest art fair did not disappoint! I was so happy to see such a variety of artists on display, and different mediums being celebrated. Here are a few names that caught my eye at Mexico City's Zona Maco fair; it was lovely to have Vita Kari, an HOH/deaf artist from Los Angeles, explain their process and how they obscure the “best parts” of their textile pieces to represent what folks in their HOH/deaf community experience. I love meeting artists at fairs – it brings a whole new level of appreciation to the work.
Pardiss Amerian's Embrasure at Zalucky Contemporary
Jeffrey Harrison at Dianna Witte Gallery – a posthumous celebration of the Toronto artist's vibrant work
FEMALE ARTISTS CELEBRATED AT LONDON FASHION WEEK
I've had a few pangs of London Fashion Week FOMO lately and am happy I can keep up online. The Roksanda collection, inspired by the late artist Phyllida Barlow, looked especially fantastic! Visit Hauser & Wirth's page about Barlow to learn more about her work.
And how about this exceptional Erdem F/W 2025 collection featuring pieces with paintings by Kaye Donachie? Very poetic. You can read more about her work on the Maureen Paley site.
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Opaloma is grateful to exist on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is currently home to many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
