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The Power of Her: Celebrating women artists who reclaim and redefine the female gaze

Staged in the White Box at Bankside Hotel from 2 March to late May 2026, The Power of Her brings together a dynamic group of contemporary women artists whose practices reclaim narrative, challenge perception and redefine the female gaze. Presented by Contemporary Collective x DA Gallery in partnership with Bankside Hotel, the exhibition launches in alignment with International Women’s Day and reflects a shared commitment to artistic authorship, visibility and voice.

This exhibition holds particular significance for us. All of the participating artists — with the exception of Dr Helen Gørrill — have previously been part of our Artist-in-Residence programme, contributing to the creative fabric of the hotel through their time in our studio spaces. Dr Helen Gørrill has, meanwhile, been connected to Bankside since our opening, when we commissioned three of her works that continue to hang in our stairwell — a lasting expression of our commitment to supporting women artists and fostering enduring creative relationships.

“To create is to reveal.” — Louise Bourgeois

Taking Bourgeois’ words as a quiet provocation, The Power of Her considers creation as an act of revelation — of self, perspective and lived experience. In a visual culture long shaped by external interpretations of womanhood, the exhibition repositions the lens. Here, women are not passive subjects of observation but originators of meaning, complexity and narrative. Bringing together distinct artistic voices, the exhibition explores identity, agency, representation and strength through painting, collage and mixed media.

The exhibition in Bankside’s White Box event space will be open to visitors from 2 March to late May 2026. We invite guests and the community to come by and experience the creativity of these emerging talents.

If you are travelling from afar, please remember to call ahead to confirm opening times and to plan your visit. Please call +44 (0)20 3319 5988.

The Artists

Each artist moves beyond inherited frameworks that once confined female representation, asserting presence, autonomy and multiplicity instead.

Amy Judd presents psychologically charged figurative paintings that examine inner worlds and feminine symbolism, creating spaces where vulnerability and strength coexist.

Dr Helen Gørrill interrogates representation and perception, challenging the ways women have historically been framed while offering alternative readings that subvert expectation.

Georgi Morrison layers material and gesture to communicate resilience and transformation, her expressive surfaces suggesting renewal through lived experience.

Ottelien Huckin explores emotional presence and the quiet power of observation, foregrounding introspection and nuance.

Ewa Podles brings contemplative intensity to her compositions, balancing delicacy and force in ways that assert autonomy and self-definition.

Together, the artists demonstrate that contemporary female representation is not singular but expansive and evolving. The Power of Her does not seek to define a single narrative; instead, it invites viewers to encounter multiplicity — to experience women’s perspectives as layered, self-authored and unapologetically complex.