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The Last Human Kiss

Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce the participation of Benjamin Spiers, Joanna van Son, Neil Stokoe and Omar El Lahib in The Last Human Kiss, a major group exhibition opening at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, on 13 November 2026.

Bringing together contemporary artworks by leading international artists alongside historical objects and artworks, The Last Human Kiss explores the kiss as a symbol through which societies have imagined intimacy, negotiated power and given form to love itself.

From historical representations of the kiss between two people to digital and beyond-human expressions of the 21st century, the exhibition considers the kiss as a universal language through which desire, power, vulnerability and transcendence have been expressed and contested. Few gestures appear more natural, yet across cultures the meeting of lips has consecrated monarchs, sealed treaties, betrayed lovers and quietly altered the course of history. The exhibition asks what the kiss, as one of humanity’s most enduring cultural gestures, might reveal about the fragile, contradictory and deeply social nature of being human.

Unfolding across five thematic chapters, The First Kiss, The Social Kiss, The Divine Kiss, The Romantic Kiss and The Trickster Kiss, the exhibition traces the many ways artists have returned to the kiss as a means of exploring intimacy, connection and the human condition.

Alongside Spiers, van Son, Stokoe and El Lahib, the exhibition brings together works by artists including Tracey Emin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sally Mann, Sonia Boyce, Shilpa Gupta, Patty Chang, Dorothy Cross, Ty Locke, Sophie Barber, Oliver Beer and Zheng Bo. New works by Ṣọlá Olúlòde and Paula Turmina are also presented for the first time, while Benjamin Spiers has created a new painting especially for the exhibition.

The Last Human Kiss is curated by John Kenneth Paranada, formerly Curator of Art and Climate Change at the Sainsbury Centre.

The Last Human Kiss
The Sainsbury Centre
University of East Anglia, Norfolk Road, Norwich NR4 7TJ
13 November 2026 – 11 April 2027

Participating Saatchi Yates artists:
Benjamin Spiers, Joanna van Son, Neil Stokoe, Omar El Lahib

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The Last Human Kiss Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce the participation of Benjamin Spiers, Joanna van Son, Neil Stokoe and Omar El Lahib in The Last Human Kiss, a major group exhibition opening at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich, on 13 November 2026. Bringing together contemporary artworks by leading international artists alongside historical objects and artworks, The Last Human Kiss explores the kiss as a symbol through which societies have imagined intimacy, negotiated power and given form to love itself. From historical representations of the kiss between two people to digital and beyond-human expressions of the 21st century, the exhibition considers the kiss as a universal language through which desire, power, vulnerability and transcendence have been expressed and contested. Few gestures appear more natural, yet across cultures the meeting of lips has consecrated monarchs, sealed treaties, betrayed lovers and quietly altered the course of history. The exhibition asks what the kiss, as one of humanity’s most enduring cultural gestures, might reveal about the fragile, contradictory and deeply social nature of being human. Alongside Spiers, van Son, Stokoe and El Lahib, the exhibition brings together works by artists including Tracey Emin, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sally Mann, Sonia Boyce, Shilpa Gupta, Patty Chang, Dorothy Cross, Ty Locke, Sophie Barber, Oliver Beer and Zheng Bo. New works by Ṣọlá Olúlòde and Paula Turmina are also presented for the first time, while Benjamin Spiers has created a new painting especially for the exhibition. The Last Human Kiss is curated by John Kenneth Paranada, formerly Curator of Art and Climate Change at the Sainsbury Centre. The Last Human Kiss The Sainsbury Centre University of East Anglia, Norfolk Road, Norwich NR4 7TJ 13 November 2026 – 11 April 2027
Abigail's Wish This coming weekend, Abigail becomes the youngest artist ever to exhibit at Saatchi Yates unveiling a curated series of original works as part of her wish to have her very own art gallery. At just four years old, Abigail’s life changed overnight when unexplained pain led to a diagnosis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. After two and a half years of extraordinary bravery, completing treatment marked not only the end of a chapter, but the beginning of imagining a future shaped by hope. Painting has always been Abigail’s happy place, a creative refuge during long hospital stays. Her mum shared their excitement and how they are so “proud of her as /her parents because she’s dreamed big. Abigail is most excited about the whole exhibition being her own and the joy in being able to celebrate with family, friends and the world.” We’d love to welcome you to visit the gallery to view Abigail’s beautiful work. Saturday 18 April and Sunday 19 April 14 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AL Her wish granted by @makeawishuk with @artowishes will be a magical event featuring her love of art & creating.
Omar El Lahib, Brussels Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce Omar El Lahib's solo exhibition which will open on the 16th of April in Brussels, Belgium. Omar El Lahib (b. 1968, Sidon, Lebanon) studied Fine Art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf before moving to Cologne with his wife and children. Lahib’s large scale paintings oscillate between figuration and abstraction. These dreamscapes arise from simple sketches, occasionally from earlier pictures the artist could not absolve. “It is often wrongly assumed that the night and its darkness swallows much of a place. In fact, the opposite is true of the night - it can expose much larger distances, including those of a star. It is only through a star that distances and dimensions can be perceived in space. The night therefore doesn’t diminish or limit things, it instead magnifies moments and renders them more intense.” says El Lahib. In Lahib’s nights, his figures can be found surrounded by colorful trees, textured foliage, and florescent bioluminescence. They feel, think, and hold their own and challenge the viewer or invite us; drawing us into the painting and into the night. El Lahib's work was recently included in a group exhibition at chi K11 Art Museum in Shanghai, China. “In the exhibition, quite a number of paintings featuring crows and ravens will be on display. They are fascinating animals that stand for many things—for example, for horror and death, for omens, for fate, and for messages from the afterlife, or whatever else mythology may conceal. In recent years, the Arab world has experienced a great deal of suffering. I feel there is something about these crows and ravens that may, perhaps unconsciously, reflect this catastrophe. I don’t think I deliberately use catastrophes as a reason to respond in my work, but during this time it affected me deeply, and I may have been searching for a way to express it somehow. I found it very exciting, both painterly and symbolically, that I could connect these elements in this context without reacting to them directly, and still keep it universal. My aim remains to absorb the beauty around me and express it in some painterly way.”
Tesfaye Urgessa: Primordial Paths Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce Tesfaye Urgessa: Primordial Paths which opens on March 21st at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, China. Tesfaye Urgessa (b.1983, Addis Ababa) engages a dialogue with early Ethiopian painting, German Expressionism and modern British painting to better understand global migration, displacement, and questions of racial and cultural identity. His work centers around the question “How do we live our lives?” This exhibition marks the largest institutional show to date for Urgessa, and the artist’s first in Asia. Recent exhibitions include Roots of Resilience: Tesfaye Urgessa at the Sainsbury Centre (2025) and the inaugural Ethiopian Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.
Joanna van Son is Artist in Residence at the Rubell Museum Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce that the Museum’s Knight Foundation will present Saatchi Yates artist Joanna van Son in December, 2025. The new paintings distort the familiar spatial qualities of the human body, paying particular attention to the material and symbolic textures and sensitivities of the skin. Van Son’s practice is rooted in a distinctly physical process that foregrounds both the layering and erasure of the female body.
Slawn at the Rubell Museum Miami The Rubell Museum Miami recently acquired 10 new artworks by Slawn, which opened on 3rd December 2024 during Art Basel Miami. The Rubell's created their collection by looking at art, talking with artists, and trusting their instincts. They started collecting 58 years ago when Don was in medical school and Mera was teaching at Head Start, and continue to follow the same practice today, now with their son Jason. They acquired their first work after a studio visit and were only able to do so by paying on a modest weekly installment plan. Art became the Rubells’ passion and, since that first acquisition in 1965 they’ve built one of the most significant and far-ranging collections of contemporary art in the world, now encompassing 7,700 works by more than 1,000 artists—and still growing. The new works by Slawn are currently on show at the Rubell Museum and will remain apart of their permanent collection.
Omar El Lahib in Shanghai Saatchi Yates and 1690 Art Collection Space, Shanghai, are delighted to present Between Dreams, Lebanese artist Omar El Lahib’s first solo exhibition in China. The exhibition opened on 5th November 2024 and will be on view until 28th February 2025. Spanning four years, the exhibition will delve further into the evolution of El Lahib’s painting following his red-haired figure as she grows on the canvas and within the artist’s oeuvre. Through the theatrical realm of dreamscapes and psychological introspection, this show has been curated to reveal the tension and transformation of El Lahib’s signature red-haired figure who acts as a mythical guide for the viewer to resonate with, inviting us into El Lahib’s nocturnal world field with luminous flora.
Slawn's 1000 Canvases Slawn's '1000 canvases' will be available to purchase as part of his debut exhibition at Saatchi Yates. They will be available to purchase on Thursday 12th September at 6pm via our new shop. The artworks are spray paint and acrylic on canvas measuring 29.7 x 21 cm with the option to be framed. Each artwork will come with a certificate of authenticity. The 1000 canvases are on view as part of "I present to you, Slawn' at the Bury Street Gallery from September 12th until October 20th.
Benjamin Spiers in Venice Benjamin Spiers' new exhibition, featuring works from the last 15 years of his career, will open on August 29th at Squero Castello in Venice and will be on view until 3 November 2024. Spiers' paintings, where bodies twist and writhe, invite viewers to piece together their own narratives from the intricate puzzles he presents. His subjects are seemingly at ease with their outlandish and grotesque countenances, their bulging necks, twisted limbs, and vibrant eyes beckon the viewer into the deranged magical world where they reside. Spiers' paintings borrow from a wide array of historical references. incorporating elements of classical sculptures, objects, and figures basking in the glow of fooded light or a blue luminescence reminiscent of science fiction that are probed onto linen or canvas.
Tesfaye Urgessa at the inaugural Ethiopia Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia 2024 Tesfaye Urgessa is representing Ethiopia at the 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia 2024. Renowned author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL has been selected as the curator for this significant milestone in the country's artistic history. Lemn Sissay is a poet, author, curator and broadcaster. He is the first Chancellor of Ethiopian Heritage in the United Kingdom and served at The University of Manchester from 2015 to 2022. In the mode of Concrete Poetry, his public art work began with 'Hardy's Well' in Manchester in the mid 1990's. Over time, 'Hardy's Well became a beloved landmark of the city. From Manchester, his Landmarks spread across the country, to London and to Addis Ababa. 'Prejudice and Belonging' presented at the first Ethiopian Pavilion, reflects over a decade of Urgessa's study and artistic exploration throughout his time in German and onto his return to his hometown of Addis Ababa. Underscored by his personal experience of migration, Urgessa's artistic practice became a powerful means of expressing the complexities inherent in displacement and cultural identity.
Tesfaye Urgessa to represent Ethiopia at the Venice Biennale We are excited to announce that Tesfaye Urgessa will represent Ethiopia at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2024, marking the country’s inaugural participation. Award-winning author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay OBE FRSL has been appointed as the curator for this historical exhibition. The exhibition Prejudice and Belonging for the first Ethiopian Pavilion encompasses the experience of the thirteen years spent in Germany studying and painting.  “People tend to think I am painting victims in my canvases but it’s completely different. The figures hold all kinds of emotions, fragility as well as confidence. It is the figure presented without any judgement. It is saying this is who I am, this is what I am,” Tesfaye Urgessa.
Sujin Lee at H Queen's Hong Kong Opening this March, Sujin Lee’s novel exhibition ‘I Became You’, will be taking place at H Queen’s, Hong Kong. Born in Jeju Island, Korea, Lee takes inspiration for her intimate circle of friends as well as her life in Seoul. This show will encompass fourteen new paintings by the artist, which delve further into her exploration of the self as well as her relationship with others, specifically focusing on the female subject. These intricate paintings break the boundaries between the viewer and the sitter as the public is invited into the female psyche, as Lee’s females are depicted in a state of self-conflict and inner turmoil. Commenting on the position of sisterhood, these figures demonstrate vulnerability and human anxiety, however, by acknowledging these emotional states, the artist thus finds acceptance. Painting has become a serene process for the artist as she uses motion, landscape and the female spirt to bring to the surface one’s internalised state.
Artact Parlour at K11 Shanghai We are thrilled to announce our participation in Artact Parlour, a week-long art programme designed to bring together young collectors and art enthusiasts. This collaborative initiative, a contemporary art socialisation and experiential programme, is led by "C for ABC," an art educational platform founded by Cici Xiang, an influential art media promoter and supermodel, in partnership with "K11 Shanghai," "chi K11 Art Museum," "RPP Creative Development," and "Douyin Art." Coinciding with the Shanghai Art Month, the exhibition features a curated selection of works by seven Saatchi Yates artists, including Benjamin Spiers, Bijijoo, Danny Fox, Nokukhanya Langa, Omar El Lahib, Pascal Sender, and Sujin Lee. These captivating works will be on view at chi K11 Art Museum in two distinct spaces from November 8th to 12th, 2023.
Tesfaye Urgessa at Rubell Museum DC We are delighted to announce that Tesfaye Urgessa is included in ‘Singular Views: 25 Artists’ at The Rubell Museum DC. The exhibition highlights the work of 25 contemporary artists from across the U.S. and around the world through solo presentations. There are three paintings on show by Urgessa; ‘The Strange Host’, 2022; ‘Two Twins’, 2022 and ‘Let Go Of Your Claim on Me’, 2022. The exhibition opens as part of a museum-wide reinstallation on November 2nd and is on view throughout 2024.
Pascal Sender's, 'Captcha 2826' at Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa In conjunction with the opening of the Biennale Architettura, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa will present 'Captcha 2826', a solo exhibition of works by Düsseldorf-based artist Pascal Sender, opening on Saturday 20 May in Venice. Blending paintings, sculpture and installations, the exhibition is a multi-sensorial experience. Visitors are no longer viewers but active participants of the show, presented and functioning as a ‘smart home’. Recognised for his practice that pushes the boundaries of what a painting can be and how it can evolve over time, the artist has created and hand-coded SprayAR - an innovative augmented reality app that allows view-ers to experience his paintings in three-dimensions using their phone cameras.
Danny Fox in A. Yuz Foundation Collection, Shanghai Danny Fox's 'Two Riders with Camels' is included in 'Next Door' A. Yuz Foundation in Shanghai. The exhibition is on from April 27th until July 10th.
Pascal Sender's latest exhibition at Hive Instinct, at Kunstmuseum Solingen, curated by Wilko Austermann Showcasing a range of paintings, sculptures and sound, transformed by Sender’s self-developed app SprayAR. The works come to life on the screen, allowing the viewer to enter the augmented world of the artwork, as the scene spills out of the frame of the canvas. The exhibition is on show until 16th April, in Solingen, Germany. Sender has collaborated with Maximilian Siegenbruk, Dominik Sartor, Emmanuel Awuni, Jan Herrmann, Katja Tönnissen, Fridolin Schoch, Arno Beck, Christoph Mügge, Vincent Kitzhöfer, Geiste Kincinaityte and Katrina PV to create the works.
Saatchi Yates St James's Opening 23rd January Saatchi Yates is delighted to unveil its brand new 12,000 sqft gallery space at the heart of St James's with a solo exhibition of new paintings by Lebanese artist Omar El Lahib who lives and works in Cologne. The Bury Street gallery will offer a beautiful lateral exhibition space dedicated to showcasing breakthrough artists and dramatic private rooms for secondary market presentations. Alongside its program of breakthrough art, Saatchi Yates presents exhibitions showcasing historically important works by leading Post-War & Contemporary Artists.
Tesfaye Urgessa Saatchi Yates is delighted to present a powerful solo exhibition of new paintings by contemporary Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Urgessa, opening on 22 November at the gallery’s temporary space in the heart of Miami’s Design District. Recognised for his unique intertwined subject matter that recalls representations of race and the politics of identity, Urgessa’s new body of work will see him dive deeper into this subject with 15 new paintings marking some of his largest works to date. On view from 22 November to January 2nd, Urgessa’s show will be housed at Saatchi Yates’ temporary gallery space next to the Institute of Contemporary Art and De La Cruz Collection. The show will coincide with the artists’ presentation at the Rubell Museum, Miami opening on November 28th 2022. Saatchi Yates 35 NE 40th Street, Miami, FL 33137, USA
Kevin Pinsembert with Georges Braque at Château Saint-Maur Saatchi Yates is pleased to present a new exhibition of Kevin Pinsembert and Georges Braque at Château Saint Maur, Cogolin, opening 13th July, 2022. The show features Kevin Pinsembert’s monumental large scale paintings, renderings of everyday scenes broken to pieces and assembled back together like a cubist flat pack.These works are displayed next to the paintings of Georges Braque the founder of cubism. The idea of subverting the image with broken distortions of perspective runs deep in the work of both Braque and Pinsembert whilst being painted a century a part. Pinsembert’s work of street scenes painting in a wildy rich and seductive colour palette play off braques paintings of still life’s of fruit, lemons, eggs and a delicious looking poisson satisfys the appetite and complements the vineyard in which the exhibition is set perfectly. Bringing together the rigour of a French master and the work of contemporary artist Pinsembert whose paintings originated on the streets of Paris. The exhibition of Kevin Pinsembert with Georges Braque is a gourmand’s bliss. A feast in the South of France. 13th August - 28th August Château Saint-Maur 535 Route de Collobrières, 83310 Cogolin, France With thanks to Château Saint-Maur and Are Belga for bringing this to life.
Angela Santana Angela Santana speaks to Marie-Clare Chapret at Harper's Bazaar about rescuing art from the male gaze.
Tesfaye Urgessa x African Art in Venice Forum 2022 Saatchi Yates is pleased to announce that Tesfaye Urgessa will be participating in a pannel discussion titled, Focus Ethiopia. The panel will be moderated by Raphael Chikukwa, Executive Director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Guests can attend the panel in person at the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal Venice, Italy or virtually. Participation is free, however, reservation is required. African Art in Venice Forum is a public and free discursive platform presented every other year in Venice, Italy during the opening week of the Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte di Venezia. The event provides new opportunities to discover, learn, discuss, explore and exchange on topics and projects related to contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas. Wednesday April 20 at 4pm (CEST)
Sujin Lee Sujin Lee's Dawn, 2020 has been acquired by the Boghossian Foundation in Brussels, Belgium.
Pascal Sender Works by Pascal Sender to be featured in the Museum Haus Opherdicke exhibition Face to Face, 2022, opening March 27, 2022.
Torino; Jin Angdoo, Kottie Paloma, A.R. Penck (3rd-19th November 2021) Saatchi Yates are pleased to announce the opening of their first international temporary space in Turin, Italy. As part of a broader programme of temporary spaces across the world, this exhibition marks the first official event abroad after a year focused on growing locally in London. Coinciding with the internationally acclaimed art fair Artissima, finally reopening at the beginning of the month, Saatchi Yates will celebrate November in the city of Turin and the wonderful, secret history of art in the city. The exhibition will include works by two emerging artists represented by Saatchi Yates: Jin Angdoo (Yeoju, South Korea, b. 1981), already shown in the London gallery as part of Allez la France! and Kottie Paloma (Los Angeles, b. 1974), American painter to whom the gallery will dedicate a retrospective in March 2022. Alongside them, a selection of works by Post-War German master A.R. Penck creates a dialogue between the three artists’ spanning cave art, graphic symbols and graffiti.
Benjamin Spiers "Desire Lines" (2021) x W1 Curates
Gallery Zabludowicz Acquisition of Tesfaye Urgessa Works to be Included in Museum Show “The Stand-Ins” (7th October- 19th December 2021)
Film Hams Klemens | Painting the Tunnels Underneath Marseille
Installation Allez La France! Window Installation at Burlington Arcade
Gallery Installation with Pascal Sender
Gallery Installing with Pascal Sender