To mark its re-opening, the Soho Revue’s latest exhibition offers a colourful celebration of female creativity. Entitled Femme-Ate – a compound of ‘femme’ (the French word for woman) and ‘create’ – the exhibition brings together a strong cast of female artists working today, whose art range from ceramics and sculpture to paintings and textile works. The result is a bold and exciting illustration of contemporary female creativity, even if – as is this exhibition’s raison d’être – their work continues to be overshadowed.
‘There isn’t nearly enough female art around, so I knew I wanted to re-open with a women-only show,’ says India Rose James, who founded the contemporary art space back in 2015. Among the artists featured in the show are ceramicist Alma Berrow, pencil artist Nettie Wakefield and multimedia artist Zoë Hoare, each of whom explore themes and subjects such as female bodies and realities.
Highlight pieces include a serene figurative painting by Amy Beager, as well as Polly Edsell’s collage featuring a female figure from old porn magazines by publisher Paul Raymond – the King of Soho who is also James’s grandfather. Such pieces are a lively example of how the space engages with its history in a fresh, contemporary way.
‘Walker’s Court has a history of showcasing women and I wanted to reclaim that in a more modern way,’ says James. ‘It’s a peep show kind of street. While it’s not about naked ladies anymore, we have naked women and tapestry orgies. It’s all playing on the same theme.’
