Heart Of the Matter

Aptly opened on International Women’s Day, Heart of the Matter at Gillian Jason Gallery offers a timeless snapshot of contemporary female art. Curated by Mollie Barnes, founder of She Curates, Heart of the Matter presents work by some of the most prominent artists working today. Emerging artists are merged with those more established, figurative paintings paired with abstract works. Included are works by Tracey Emin, Bridget Riley, Chantal Joffe, Jasmine Pradissitto, Sikelela Owen, Emma Prempeh, Layla Andrews, Eleanor Johnson, Sarah Jane Moon, Sahara Longe and Cecily Brown – an impressive lineup. Opened by Gillian Jason in 1982, Gillian Jason Gallery is directed by women, supporting women.

Jasmine Pradissitto, Pan (2021). Source: gillianjason.com.

Upon entering the virtual exhibition space, in the centre of the room one encounters two sculptural works by Jasmin Pradissitto. Jasmin is a London-based artist whose practice focuses on environmentalism and sustainability, working at the intersection between art and science. The environmental focus of Jasmine Pradissitto's work takes physical form in her material: NoxTek, a pollutant absorbing geopolymer. Jasmine's sculptures Pan and Persephone (2021), reminiscent of Greek and Roman sculpture, are a nod to empires long deceased, much like Eleanor Johnson's paintings, which take inspiration from the timeless Masters. Fragmented visuals of torsos and fabric are presented in the style of the Old Masters, but with a contemporary twist. Standing back from the canvases, one can make out a cherub or a flowing piece of rich fabric, yet up close such details disappear into planes of colour.

Eleanor Johnson, Wool Over Eyes (2021). Source: gillianjason.com.

Having graduated from Goldsmiths in 2019 and currently undertaking a Master's at the RCA, Emma Prempeh is fast becoming an esteemed name in the art world. Emma grapples with generational continuity and familial ties in her expressive, delicate paintings. Emma describes her work as ‘fragile, temporal, warm’: such characteristics are embodied in her rich, sensuous colour palette. Red, White, Blue and Brown (2020) portrays her Mother in the 80s, reflecting on her experience of being black and British. There is an all-consuming feeling of joy and celebration radiating out from the painting, whilst the hint of nostalgia within is difficult to ignore. This painting lies at the core of Emma’s practice: creating vivid depictions of loved ones and their personal experiences.

Emma Prempeh, Red, White, Blue and Brown (2021). Source: gillianjason.com.

A personal favourite is Sahara Longe’s Cousins (2021), painted after coming across her Mother’s old photos of parties in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Sahara sought to portray a fleeting moment; a split-second snapshot captured on camera. One of the women’s gaze lands squarely on the viewer, whilst the other’s is diverted. Cropped closely to the subjects’ faces, one feels intimately close, whilst the vibrant colours pulse with energy.

Sahara Longe, Counsins (2021). Source gillianjason.com.

 Similarly to the work of both Sahara and Emma, Sikelela Owen’s work too depicts loved ones and is  inspired by old family photographs. Themes of intimacy and nostalgia underpin all three artists’ work as they present the women closest to them. Sunning (Manda and Sike) (2021) shows Sikelela’s Mother when she was pregnant with her. Amongst an indiscriminate background, Sikelela captures a moment of intense closeness between mother and unborn child. The soft, blurred brushstrokes and muted colours add to the sense of quiet and calm. 

Sikelela Owen, Sunning (Manda and Sike) (2021). Source: gillianjason.com.

Tracey Emin needs no introduction. On the back wall hang two of her lithographs: Blue Madonna (2020) and Four Thousand Years (2020). In Blue Madonna, dark blue ink skates across the canvas. This work, painted with immediacy, represents the femme tragique. Both lithographs are self-portraits, revealing intimate explorations of the artist’s self.

Tracey Emin, Blue Madonna (2020). Source: gillianjason.com.

One can recognise Bridget Riley’s bold configurations of colour from a distance. The Op Art pioneer saw colour as a paradox, being simultaneously one thing and several things: “you can never see colour by itself, it is always affected by other colours” (Riley, 2009). Through bold colour combinations Bridget builds up tension in her works and About Lilac (2007) is an exemplar of Riley’s energetic, vibrant and forceful compositions.

Bridget Riley, About Lilac (2007). Source: gillianjason.com.

Elli Jason Foster, Director of the gallery, said this exhibition, like many of their previous exhibitions, seeks to connect emerging artists with those more established, and “at the same time, [correct] some of the gender inequalities that have existed for so long in the art world”. This curatorial sentiment flows seamlessly throughout the exhibition and is vital considering artists represented by London’s top galleries are 70 percent male. Even more disheartening is that a mere 22 percent of solo shows in London in 2017 were by women. Hence, this exhibition is an imperative, breathtaking collection of intimate artworks, displaying the unrivalled talent of female artists working today. One leaves enraptured by the works of long-standing, established artists, and invigorated by those of promising, emerging artists, who will soon be the names on everyones’ lips. 

‘Heart of the Matter’ is online until 15th April 2021 and can be accessed via their website.  

All images are sourced from gillianjason.com 

Olivia Wilson 

Reviews Editor, MADE IN BED