This June, artist Jessica Illsley brings her powerful solo exhibition “Humbled by the Void” to London’s Zari Gallery, showcasing her visceral and deeply symbolic paintings that explore themes of liberation, spirituality, and female autonomy.
Presented by by Giulietta Bateman, “Humbled by the Void” will feature 16 large-scale oil paintings that invite reflection and provoke dialogue. At the heart of Jessica’s work lies a fearless exploration of the transcendence of the physical form and the passage into spirit, themes she knows intimately through her work as a psychic medium.
Jessica said
“I want these works to help the viewer reflect on the fragility of existence and how our actions and expressions are a fragment of a much larger and more expansive phenomena”
Her expressive, fluid approach reveals the raw animalistic tendencies which lie beneath societal repression, laying open the fight between wild desire and social constraint. Jessica’s paintings represent the strength and independence of women in their struggle against a patriarchal society. Through strong images of the female body, she subverts traditional representations and, instead, celebrates strength, sexuality, and independence.
The artist explained
“I paint the divine feminine, forms that bring sexuality, power and venerability into contrast. The emphasis is not on the forms themselves but on their power to subvert, challenge and transcend the masculine lens that has shaped how femininity is consumed in western popular culture”
The exhibition will open with an invitation-only private view on 19th June (5pm – 9pm), where guests will enjoy live music from the acclaimed Latin ensemble SOL Collective, alongside cocktails by Mijenta, the sustainable, artisan tequila brand, and non-alcoholic offerings from handcrafted, multi-award winning aperitif Botivo.
You can register for the guest list via Jessica’s website: www.jessicaillsley.com/zari-show
This event is aimed at art lovers, collectors, creatives, and cultural tastemakers, offering not just a visual experience, but a compelling space for conversation and connection. A percentage of sales from the private view will be donated to Gurls Talk a charity dedicated to promoting mental health and wellbeing among adolescent girls and young women.
About the Artist
Jessica Illsley studied Fine Art at Brighton University and Lavender Hill Studios. She made her London debut in 2013 at Vellum Gallery and has since shown work in both group and solo exhibitions across the UK and Europe, including notable shows at Brixton East, The Soho Hotel, and The Bayerischer Hof in Munich. In 2021, she presented her sold-out solo exhibition “Blue Nudes”, marking a bold evolution in her artistic practice.
Beyond visual art, Jessica is a musician and songwriter, creating music for video games with her alt-pop project bubba hush, and working on a solo musical collaboration with producer Ollie Clark.
Jessica is currently finalising an upcoming solo exhibition in New York (Autumn 2025) at Nail Salon and Gallery 198, and in talks with a senior executive at the Guggenheim about an art residency in New York. Further details on that to be released.
Follow Jessica Isley on Instagram @jessicaillsleyart
Follow Gurls Talk on Instagram @gurlstalk
