Global Cultural Bulletin: February 2026

CULTURAL BULLETIN | HAPPENINGS | WORLD OF CABANA

A monthly guide to the events and exhibitions on Cabana's Radar: a global cultural bulletin and a must-read for anyone looking to keep their finger on the pulse of art and design. Read on to discover our February highlights. A preview is available for all, while the full global cultural bulletin is exclusively available on our Substack. Join us for our newest and most intimate chapter.

BY TEAM CABANA | HAPPENINGS | 1 FEBRUARY 2026

Caravaggio, Narcissus, c. 1600, Palazzo Barberini, Rome. On show at The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, for its exhibition, Metamorphoses, opening this month.

From the disciplined worlds of the Japanese samurai to the intimate interiors of Parisian Belle Époque society, onward to the sun-drenched runways of L.A. and the salons of St. Moritz overlooking snowy mountainous peaks—our February bulletin is a passport across times and places. Whether in search of Old Masters or contemporary craft, fashion photography, sculpture, or international fairs from London to Marrakech, read on for Cabana’s curated edit of the happenings shaping the art and design calendar this month.

EXHIBITIONS

NEW YORK, USA

Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture

Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788), Mary, Countess Howe, 1763–64, English Heritage, Kenwood House, London © Historic England / Bridgeman Images

The Frick Collection will present its first exhibition on Thomas Gainsborough this month, which also happens to be New York’s first show devoted to the English painter’s portraiture. Opening on February 12, the special exhibition will display more than two dozen of Gainsborough’s paintings, exploring the richly interwoven relationship between his portraits and fashion in the 18th century.

February 12, 2026 - May 25, 2026, The Frick, NEW YORK, USA

MASSACHUSETTS, USA

Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone

Left: Henry Rocher, Edmonia Lewis 1845-1907, about 1870. Harvard Art Museums Fogg Museum. Photo © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Right: Edmonia Lewis, Portrait of Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney, Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, Maine.

This Peabody Essex Museum's landmark exhibition reclaims the life and work of Edmonia Lewis, the first internationally recognized sculptor of Black and Indigenous descent. From Rome to Boston with an oeuvre spanning abolitionist portraits to myth and faith, her vivid stone figures speak of resilience, ambition, and quiet mastery—finally foregrounded within the artistic worlds she shaped and transformed.

February 14, 2026 - June 7, 2026, Peabody Essex Museum, MASSACHUSETTS, USA

LONDON, ENGLAND

Ascendance

© Sussy Cazalet

Ascendance will bring together 14 handwoven tapestries designed by British artist and textile designer, Sussy Cazalet. Working with flat-loom weaving, natural fibres, and organic, hand-mixed dyes, Cazalet takes inspiration from the natural world and translates her rich, abstract watercolour studies into vibrant large-scale tapestries. Her striking compositions unfold as expansive, geometric forms unified by flowing, earthy colours.

The exhibition will also include a selection of the Norfolk-based artist’s hand-painted watercolour studies, and – reflecting Cazalet’s interest in mid-century design – a selection of vintage furniture curated by Fiona Scarry.

February 6, 2026 - March 20, 2026, Tristan Hoare Gallery, LONDON, ENGLAND

LONDON, ENGLAND

Marie-Antoinette: An Eye for Beauty

France, Queen Marie Antoinette (S393),c.1774. © Trustees of the Wallace Collection

Following the success of the V&A’s sell-out exhibition on Marie-Antoinette (1755–1793), London’s Wallace Collection will host its own tribute to the ill-starred queen of France.

Objects of exquisite artistry, intimately connected with Marie-Antoinette – from an elegant writing desk, a pair of glittering candlesticks and two paintings commissioned for one of her private retreats – will be on show, providing insights into the life and character of one of the most fascinating people in French history. Renowned for her style and discerning eye, Louis XVI’s queen commissioned extraordinary interiors and artworks.

February 2, 2026 - March 31, 2026, The Wallace Collection, LONDON, ENGLAND

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31 Jan '26

Global Cultural Bulletin: February

A monthly guide to the new events and unmissable exhibitions on Cabana's Radar: a global cultural bulletin and a must-read for anyone looking to keep their finger on the pulse of art, fashion design. Read on to discover our February highlights.

23 Jan '26

Explore an antique dealer's exceptional 16th-century Guild House in Belgium

A teenage romance led antique dealer Johan Van Dijck and artist Kaat Van Doren towards a shared life shaped by objects, history, and attention. In their 16th-century guild house in Mechelen, Belgium, five floors unfold as the record of a life spent looking. Emma Becque and Isabel Bronts take a tour.

27 Jan '26

Postcard from Mani: On the trail of Patrick Leigh Fermor

Although it ought to be forbidden to use the word odyssey when writing about Greece, certain journeys do seem to resist any other term, finds writer and photographer Sam Parkes. He travels to Mani for "a pilgrimage of sorts", on the trail of Patrick Leigh Fermor, who first visited the Southern Greek peninsula in the 1950s while, researching his book Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese.

13 Jan '26

Tour the richly layered Milan apartment of Idarica Gazzoni

In a former casa di ringhiera in Milan’s Cinque Vie, textile designer Idarica Gazzoni has created a nomadic, memory layered interior shaped by ikat silks, antique campaign furniture and hand painted walls. Founder of fabric house Arjumand’s World, she reflects on movement, freedom and the emotional power of rooms that evolve with life.

01 Feb '26

Postcard from Plovdiv, Bulgaria

"If you want to discover an East European city, which is still a little under-the-radar, I highly recommend a stop in Plovdiv," says photographer Joanna Maclennan who's long been captivated by Bulgaria's rich cultural history and photogenic painted houses. She shares beautiful images and a tips-filled postcard from Plovdiv.

24 Jan '26

Finders Keepers with James Jackson

A former Christie’s specialist turned trusted presence on Lillie Road, antique dealer James Jackson has spent over two decades scouring markets, brocantes and country house sales for rare treasures. James reveals the stories of two exceptional objects that have passed through his hands: his greatest find and the pieces he'll keep forever.

23 Jan '26

Cabana Curates: Library rooms

From a palatial bibliotheque to a colour-drenched contemporary reading bay and a secret library in the heart of Casablanca, rooms shaped by books reveal the character of a space. Formal, playful, sparse, or indulgent, libraries bring depth and personality to the home. Read on for library rooms from the World of Cabana and beyond.

19 Dec '25

Winter Sun: A Postcard from Fes

With the northern hemisphere feeling distinctly frosty, our minds are wandering to warmer climes, winter sun and thoughts of New Year travel. Photographer Joanna Maclennan makes a strong case for the inexorable pull of Fès, sharing a tips-filled postcard and set of arresting images from the mystical Moroccan city.

14 Jan '26

My Dublin with Shayne Brady

Interior architect Shayne Brady – Creative Director of Studio Shayne Brady and the design force behind many of London's most stylish restaurants and bars – turns his attention to his homeland, Ireland, sharing a personal insider's guide to charming Dublin.

01 Nov '25

Postcard from Sri Lanka

Anastasia Miari travels through Sri Lanka, exploring the design legacy of Geoffrey Bawa – one of the most influential Asian architects of the past century – while peeling back the layers of the island nation. From its colonial past to its unique flavors, flora and fauna, Anastasia uncovers fascinating stories, beautiful places and the very best of Sri Lankan hospitality.

29 Nov '25

Tour a Beautiful Farmhouse in Umbria designed by Retrouvius

Maria Speake, founder of leading UK-based studio, Retrouvius, shares images from, and insights into, an outstanding project in Umbria, an exclusive insight from her new book, Contemporary Salvage, Designing Homes from a Philosophy of Reuse.

29 Nov '25

A Guide to Collecting with Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler and Brownrigg

Three industry experts, decorator Philip Hooper, joint managing director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, and Brownrigg founders, George Perez-Martin and David Gibson, share an insider’s guide to collecting and living with antique objects and furniture.