Art: “Empowering Her” Portrait Exhibition London

An exhibition of oil paintings by Caroline de Peyrecave SWA, is bringing visibility to the complex, multifaceted and hidden roles of women behind their public achievements.

‘Empowering Her’ is an exhibition that seeks to confront who is seen, who is celebrated, and who has historically been left in the shadows when it comes to the discipline of portraiture. Through a series of large-scale, finely rendered portraits, ‘Empowering Her’ reclaims portraiture as a space in which women’s stories are seen and their achievements honoured with the respect they merit – each painting contains biographical information about the sitter and their deeper identity and life. The work explores recognition, representation, and power, questioning whose stories are recorded, whose leadership is acknowledged, and whose experiences might be overlooked.

The portraits, join a new collection of women-focused oil works by portrait artist Caroline de Peyrecave SWA (Society of Women Artists) to be shown in a new London exhibition at The Gallery, Green & Stone, London SW3.

The exhibition seeks to honour, with depth and visibility, eight incredible women shaping Britain today across culture, sport, science and public life, and includes;

–        Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, campaigner and former political prisoner. Portrait title; ‘Held in Plain Sight’

–        Sally Phillips, actor and comedian. Portrait title; ‘Am I Funny?’

–        Daryl Fielding, advertising leader behind Dove’s Real Beauty campaign. Portrait title; ‘Am I Enough?’

–        General Dame Sharon Nesmith, Vice-Chief of the UK Defence Staff. Portrait title; ‘What Leadership Requires’

–        Zoe Stratford, England Rugby World Cup winning captain and advocate for women in sport. Portrait title; ‘Leading with Strength’

–        Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist and science communicator. Portrait title; ‘Looking Beyond’

–        Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of UK Black Pride. Portrait title; ‘Standing in My Truth’

–        Emma Barnett, broadcaster and journalist. Portrait title; ‘Giving Voice’

Portraiture artist Caroline de Peyrecave said; “For years I’ve noticed how women’s achievements are softened, sidelined, or quietly absorbed into the background. Their role is often narrowed down to what they have achieved on the world stage – but as a woman, they are all holding down family, societal expectations, physical challenges, personal insecurities and ordinary life quietly and repeatedly.  Empowering Her came from a desire to pause, look properly, and give weight to women’s lived experience.”

Caroline trained at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, and her portraits bear the hallmarks of the old masters, and a history of art which traditionally immortalised only important men. The traditionalism of her painting style, which sculpts the face using masterly layers of oil, is combined with a lively warmth, testimony to the connection she makes with her sitters.

Sally Philips

(left to right:  ‘Am I Funny?’ portrait of Sally Phillips  and ‘Held in Plain Sight’, portrait of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe)

Actor and comedian Sally Phillips, most famous for her role in “Smack the Pony,” sits in front of a line of odd socks, representing her three neurodivergent children.  Captured in soft, warm, colourful brush strokes, the portrait reveals the depth of Sally’s achievements as a woman and mother, and offers an honest window into personal career insecurities – none of which are immediately visible in the success Sally has achieved in the public eye – the hourglass by her feet symbolises the fear of time running out.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

In contrast to the playful, colourful tones in Sally’s portrait, former political prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is captured looking directly at the viewer set against an arresting light and dark composition. A central shaft of light spotlights the campaigner, who looks both powerful and serene, against shadowy mirror reflections, in reference to her coming into the light of freedom following her captivity. She wears a feminine dress (Nazanin’s love of textiles has recently led to a collaboration with Liberty of London and the Imperial War Museum) and sits next to origami birds – when Nazanin was in prison, she made origami birds with her daughter when she came to visit.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe commented: “While I was imprisoned, I was made invisible in every possible way, so being seen now, on my own terms, matters deeply to me. Caroline’s work acknowledges women’s experience, resilience, and humanity, and I hope it reminds the world that women and girls, and their stories, matter even when people try to silence them.”

Still life – Origami

In addition to full length portraits, the exhibition will also feature preparatory head and shoulders paintings which have been gifted to the sitters, and still lives which contain a selection of symbolic objects intimately connected with the sitters – these exclusive still lives will be available for sale. Still lives start from £1,000, with all proceeds going to UN Women UK, contributing to programmes supporting all women and girls in the UK and around the world.

‘Empowering Her’ is an evolving body of work. Alongside the exhibition, a series of portrait-led workshops will take place at the gallery, with further workshops planned in community and corporate settings, and ambitions for future exhibitions and touring.

It is hoped that the main portraits featured in the show become part of private collections.

Empowering Her: Wednesday 4^th March to Saturday 14^th March 2026

The Gallery, Green & Stone, London SW3