Sotheby’s Highlights Es Devlin Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Bronze and Chamberlain Estate Gathering
Sotheby’s has unveiled new editorial features and events that span a major Es Devlin retrospective in London, the auction of a rare Shang–Zhou dynasty bronze vessel in Hong Kong and an intimate gathering at John Chamberlain’s Shelter Island estate, alongside a slate of upcoming international exhibitions.
Es Devlin Retrospective Opens at London’s Design Museum
Set designer and artist Es Devlin will be the focus of the largest exhibition of her career at London’s Design Museum, opening on 2 October and running through 4 April 2027. The show surveys three decades of work across theater, opera, fashion and large-scale stage environments, reflecting collaborations with performers and directors including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, U2 and Sam Mendes, as well as institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera.
The exhibition charts Devlin’s move from celebrated stage design toward a more personal artistic practice, which has increasingly attracted institutional attention. Readers can explore the profile for further details on Devlin’s evolving body of work.
Ancient Bronze Jue Featuring Ge Pictogram to be Auctioned in Hong Kong
At Sotheby’s Hong Kong on 4 September, a rare bronze jue from the Okada Museum of Art will be offered in the sale Masterpieces of Asian Art from the Okada Museum of Art II. Cast in the late Shang or early Western Zhou period in the 11th century B.C., the 19.5-centimeter tripod drinking vessel bears a single pictogram beneath its handle: Ge (戈), or dagger-axe.
Specialist Nicolas Chow notes that the mark associates the vessel with the Ge clan, a lineage that claimed descent from Yu of the Xia, and reflects early concepts of divine legitimacy, sacred authority and moral order in Chinese state formation.
Dinner at John Chamberlain’s Shelter Island Estate Marks Centennial Countdown
Sotheby’s and design company Nordic Knots recently co-hosted an intimate dinner at the John Chamberlain Estate on Shelter Island, Long Island, following a feature on the artist’s work. Guests gathered at a long white table set over colorful Nordic Knots rugs inside a former stable that now serves as a private gallery for Chamberlain’s bright foil sculptures.
Chamberlain’s widow, Prudence Fairweather, and his stepdaughter Alexandra Fairweather hosted the event, offering informal tours and conversations around works including an oversized foam piece known as the “barge,” which Alexandra now uses as the set for her interview series “On the Couch.”
Upcoming Global Exhibitions and Events
A series of exhibitions opens on 29 August, including “Miller: Fearless” at the Art Institute of Chicago, “Dai-chien: A Master of Modern Chinese Painting” at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, Florida, and an exhibition on photographer Florence Henri at the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland.
Also on 29 August, the Busan Biennale opens in Korea, followed on 1 September by “Mexicano: Moments in Mexican Photography” at the Getty Center in Los Angeles and, on 2 September, Frieze Seoul.
On 3 September, “Heritage in Motion” opens at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, adding to a crowded early autumn calendar of international art events.