What’s Happening in the Art Capitals of the World: New York City and London in October

Oh, October—when leaves tumble, pumpkins smirk, and the art scene debates whether to drape itself in fall foliage or gold frames. In New York and London, where the Hudson and Thames churn with equal murk, creativity blooms like an overripe apple: juicy, unpredictable, and kissed by a crisp breeze that reminds us inspiration doesn’t always hail from sunny climes. Let’s dive into two exhibitions lighting up the month with color and imagination—before the fog rolls in and paints everything gray.

Arcadia Contemporary, New York City:

Brian Haberlin – “Interludes” (October 4–26, 2025) 

Brian Haberlin is an award-winning American comic artist, writer, editor, and producer, best known as the co-creator of the Witchblade franchise and a pioneer in augmented reality and digital art. He began his career at Lorimar/Warner Brothers Television in development and ongoing programs but left to pursue his passion for comics. At Top Cow Productions, he developed modern comic production methods, rose to VP of Creative Affairs, and steered the company’s creative direction. His major works include co-creating Witchblade—sparked by the lack of realistic female superheroes—which spawned spin-offs, a live-action TV series, and an anime, plus titles like Stone (the top-selling independent comic of its year, weaving Filipino mythology), Aria (#2 on U.S. comic charts as urban fantasy), Area 52 (science fiction), Nine Rings of the Wu-Tang, and M-Rex (adapted into Cartoon Network’s Generator Rex). After Top Cow, he founded his own studio and Avalon Publishing, served as Editor in Chief at Todd McFarlane Productions in 2006, drawing Spawn, and launched Anomaly Productions in 2012 with Skip Brittenham for cross-platform content like Anomaly: The Rubicon, Shifter, and Sonata. He runs DigitalArtTutorials.com and TraditionalArtTutorials.com, teaches comic art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and has works in the Smithsonian Museum’s permanent collection. His accolades include multiple Wizard Fan Awards, an Eisner Award, an Ink Pot Award, and nominations for Unity Vision Awards in augmented reality; his apps hit #1 on iBookstore, Amazon, and Google Play. He’s a regular at events from the Future of Storytelling Conference to San Diego Comic-Con and has been featured in WIRED, Rolling Stone, and American Art Collector (cover). Recently, he’s ventured into fine art, with features in American Art Collector and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The “Interludes” exhibition marks Haberlin’s gallery debut, showcasing 37 new paintings in traditional media like oil and watercolor. It captures moments that “exist between the personal, the imaginary, and the universal,” blending the narrative energy of his storytelling roots with nuanced, contemplative imagery. As an internationally recognized innovator in graphic novels and digital media, Haberlin now turns to the depth and intimacy of painting, making the opening on October 4 a milestone event.

Plus One Gallery, London:

François Chartier – “A Frozen Moment” (September 22–October 29, 2025) 

François Chartier, born in 1950 in Montreal, Canada, spent nearly 30 years as an art director and illustrator in magazine publishing and advertising, achieving success with established Canadian agencies. At age 50, in 2000, he pivoted to full-time painting and is now among the most acclaimed hyperrealists. His style, dubbed “theatrical hyperrealism,” involves selecting objects for sets, photographing them extensively (hundreds to thousands of shots), combining them via Photoshop, and painting larger-than-life on expansive canvases, starting with a gesso base for smooth surfaces, using oil or acrylic, with a focus on light, shadow, reflections, and transparency. His goal is to “captivate viewers and make them see something familiar from a different angle, with the smaller details revealed in their beauty and simplicity.” His works include the Iceberg series (e.g., *Iceberg XVI*, 2020, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches [61 x 61 cm]), Uncharted Territories (2020, oil, 40 x 84 inches [102 x 214 cm]), A Night at the Opera (oil,…