Repose
Pearl Alcock
Jai Chuhan
Helena Foster
Marcia Michael
Sara Rossberg
Nahem Shoa
13 November 2025 - 31 January, 2026
William Hine is pleased to present Repose, a group exhibition on view from 13 November 2025 - 31 January, 2026, featuring the work of Pearl Alcock, Jai Chuhan, Helena Foster, Marcia Michael, Sara Rossberg and Nahem Shoa. Repose is co-curated by Matthew Holman and is accompanied by a new essay responding to the theme of the exhibition.
“The present exhibition has collected a series of paintings and drawings, dating from 1988 to the present, all of which speak back to the tradition of the figure in repose– at rest, asleep, or lost in reflection–but in each case have reimagined this category of picture in our own time, a time when all around us we witness the resistance to the stillness, or rather the aimlessness, of life in repose.
For all these artists, to exist in a state of repose is to do a great many things. It is to make oneself vulnerable to the lover at our bedside who may betray us. It is to escape into a dense forest of dreams. It is to study silence. If the traditional definition of “repose” may speak to a state of tranquillity, a feeling of composure, or harmonious arrangement, it might just as easily speak to how we can still lay down as the world burns around us or indeed sleep – “perchance to dream” as the Dane has it – when all we can conjure are nightmares. What these pictures remind us is that to repose does not necessitate surrendering to inertia or even to stillness but rather to just be in the world where all its relentless activity goes on around us.”
Read here: Matthew Holman’s essay ‘Repose.’
Works
Jai Chuhan
Repose I, 2025
Oil on canvas
90 x 75 cm; 35.4 x 29.5 in
Jai Chuhan
Intoxicated Woman I, 2025
Oil on canvas
91.5 x 76.5 cm; 36 x 30.1 in
Sara Rossberg
Pink Silhouette, 1999
Acrylic medium and pigment on canvas
183 x 122 cm; 73 x 48 in
Nahem Shoa
Gbenga Sleeping, 1998
Oil on canvas
188 x 98 cm; 74 x 38.6 in
Helena Foster
Daydreamer, 2025
Oil on paper
54.7 x 46.7 cm (unframed); 67.1 x 59.1cm (framed)
21.5 × 18.4 in (unframed); 26.4 × 23.3 in (framed)
Pearl Alcock
The Boy Under the Waterfall, 1988
Oil stick on paper
60 x 42 cm (unframed); 74.3 x 56.8 cm (framed)
23.6 × 16.5 in (unframed); 29.3 × 22.4 in (framed)
Marcia Michael
Hope, 2020-21
Soft pastel on paper
29.7 x 21 cm (unframed); 37 x 28.4 cm (framed)
11.7 × 8.3 in (unframed); 14.6 × 11.2 in (framed)
Marcia Michael
Grace, 2020-21
Soft pastel on paper
40.5 x 27.5 cm (unframed); 49.8 x 37.1 cm (framed)
15.9 × 10.8 in (unframed); 119.6 × 14.6 in (framed)
Marcia Michael
Faith, 2020-21
Soft pastel on paper
29.7 x 21 cm (unframed); 37 x 28.4 cm (framed)
11.7 × 8.3 in (unframed); 14.6 × 11.2 in (framed)
Installation Views
About the artists:
Pearl Alcock (1934-2006) was a Jamaican-born artist who moved to the UK in 1958. She lived and worked for most of her life in Brixton, South London and was a self-taught artist.
Previous solo exhibitions include Coming Home: A Retrospective of the Work of Pearl Alcock, 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, London, UK (2022); Pearl Alcock, The Whitworth, Manchester, UK (2019-2020); Mood Paintings, 198 Gallery, London, UK (1989).
Selected group exhibitions include Lives Less Ordinary: Working-Class Britain Re-seen, Two Temple Place, London, UK (2025); (Un)Defining Queer, The Whitworth, Manchester, UK (2023); Madge Gill & Pearl Alcock, Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London, UK (2011); Inner Worlds Outside, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (2006); Inner Worlds Outside, IMMA, Dublin, IE (2006); Inner Worlds Outside, Fundación la Caixa, Madrid, ES (2006); Selected work from the Musgrave-Kinley Outsider Art Collection, Draíocht, Blanchardstown, IE (2006); Outsider Art, Tate Britain, London, UK (2005-2006); The Tail That Wags the Dog: Outsider Art in the Expressionist Tradition, IMMA, Dublin, IE (2003-2004); Ingenious Creator, Angel Row, Nottingham, UK (1997); Outsider & Co, England & Co, London, UK (1996).
Alcock’s work is held in the collections of Collectie de Stadshof (NL) and The Whitworth, Manchester (UK).
Jai Chuhan (b.1955, Punjab, India) lives and works in London. Chuhan graduated from The Slade School of Art in 1977.
Previous solo exhibitions include: Jai Chuhan, The Approach, London, UK (2025); Dancer, Harbour House, Kingsbridge, Devon, UK (2025); Jai Chuhan: Paintings, Champ Lacombe, Biarritz, France (2024); Small Paintings, Qrystal Partners, London (2023); Remodel: Painting Studio, HOME - Asia Triennial Manchester, Manchester, UK (2018); Refuge, Gallery Oldham, Oldham - Asia Triennial Manchester, UK (2018); Love, Imperial War Museum North - Asia Triennial Manchester, UK (2014); Decanting Desire, St. Bride’s Church, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, UK (2014); Jai Chuhan: Recent Paintings, Victoria Gallery & Museum, Liverpool (2013); Memories, People’s History Museum - Asia Triennial Manchester, Manchester, UK (2011); The Body Inside, New Hall, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (2007); Journeys, Cartwright Hall, Bradford (2005); Parampara Portraits, Tameside Museum, Manchester, toured to Watermans Arts Centre, London, UK (2004-2005); A Long Way From Home...A Painter’s Journey, The Lowry, Salford (2002); Jai Chuhan: Paintings, Commonwealth Institute, London, UK (1987); Jai Chuhan, Horizon Gallery, London, UK (1987); A Natural Sense, Bluecoat, Liverpool, UK (1985).
In 2026, Chuhan’s work will feature centrally in Many Stories, an exhibition of figurative paintings by British South Asian Women at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham. Throughout 2024-2025, Chuhan’s work featured in the landmark exhibition Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood, a Hayward Gallery touring show, touring museums throughout the UK - Arnolfini, Bristol, 2024; Midlands Art Centre (MAC), Birmingham, 2024; Millennium Gallery, Sheffield, 2024–2025 2025; Dundee Contemporary Arts, 2025. Curated by Hettie Judah.
Selected public collections include: Arts Council Collection, UK; Victoria Gallery & Museum, Liverpool, Cartwright Hall, Bradford; Grosvenor Museum, Chester; New Hall Women’s Art Collection, Cambridge; Usher Gallery, Lincoln; Government Art Collection, UK; Tate, UK.
Helena Foster (b. 1988, Benin City, Nigeria) lives and works in London. Foster graduated with a BA in Painting from Camberwell College of Art (2010).
Recent solo exhibitions include: Time Honoured, Kasmin, New York, US (2025); In Voluntary Absence, 1st Floor, Green Park, Bath (2024-25); To See Beyond Seeing, Simon Lee Gallery, London (2023); In One Breath, French Riviera, London (2022); Flesh & Spirit, Bow Arts, Thamesmead, London (2020); Achịcha, Studio 1.1, Shoreditch, London (2019); Money, Love, Jealousy, OM's, Victoria Island, Lagos (2019); Space In Between, Seesaw Studio, Dalston, London (2018).
Selected group exhibitions include: Codex, Centre For Recent Drawing, London (2025); Wings Of A Butterfly, Ingleby, Edinburgh (2025); of intimacy and quietude, Sid Motion Gallery, London (2024); Image Impressions, FF Projects, Lagos (2023) Time, Pablo’s Birthday, New York (2023); Cosmic Coincidences, French Riviera, London (2022); Manifold, FF Projects, London (2022); Leo Asemota & Helena Foster: Materials For A Performance Of Unknown Reasons, London (2022) Elbow Room, The Sunday Painter, London (2022); EQX 22. 20:20. 21, French Riviera, London (2021); Entre Amis Trois, French Riviera, London (2020); Viva la Fiesta, French Riviera, London (2020); Entre Amis Deux, French Riviera, London (2019); Black, The Crypt Gallery, London (2018); 50 / 50, The Crows Nest Gallery, London (2018); Encounter, Jewel Piccadilly, London (2018); Art Hub Gallery Deptford, London (2017); Storytelling, Remp Art Gallery, Marrakech (2010); Youth Art Interchange II: A sense of perspective, Tate Britain, London (2009)
Marcia Michael (b. 1973, City) is a London-based multimedia artist working in photography, sculpture and drawing. Michael graduated with a PhD in Photography, University of the Arts London (UAL) (2023); MA in Photography, London College of Communication (2009) and a BA in Photography, University of Derby (1996).
Selected solo exhibitions include The Family Album, Midland Art Centre (MAC), Birmingham, UK (2025); Encontros da Imagem, International Photography and Visual Arts Festival, Museu Da Imagem, Braga, Portugal (2018); I am Now You - Mother, Autograph ABP, London, UK (2018).
Selected group exhibitions include: Soulscapes, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, UK (2024); Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now, Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada (2024); 1-54 Transatlantic Connections: Caribbean Narratives in Contemporary Art, Christies, London, UK (2023); Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 1950s – Now, Tate Britain, London, UK (2021); Womxn of Colour Art Award: ALTITUDE, 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning, London, UK (2021); HATCHED21: Oxford International Women Festival, Photo Oxford, Oxford, UK (2021).
Sara Rossberg (b. 1952, Recklinghausen, Germany) lives and works in London, UK. Rossberg completed postgraduate studies at the Camberwell College of Art, London (1976-78) and graduated from the Staedelschule, Academy of Fine Art, Frankfurt am Main (1971-76).
Selected solo exhibitions have taken place at: Galerie Lattemann, Darmstadt- Muehltal, Germany (2015); Albemarle Gallery, London (2007); The Women’s Art Collection, New Hall College, Cambridge (2004); Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris (2002); Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London (1997); Turnpike Gallery, Leigh (1996); Stiebel Modern, New York (1993); Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, Warrington (1992); Stiebel Modern, New York (1992); Jill George Gallery, London (1991); Louis Newman Gallery, Los Angeles (1990); Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York (1990); Retrospective touring show ‘Don’t I Know You?’: Museum & Art Gallery Newport, Oriel Gallery, Cardiff, D.L.I. Museum & Art Gallery Durham (1989); Thumb Gallery, London (1988); Denne Hill, Treadwell Gallery (1987); Kunstkeller, Bern, Switzerland (1987); International Art Fair, Basel (1986).
Rossberg’s works are held in the public collections of the National Portrait Gallery, London; The Women’s Art Collection, Cambridge; The Louth Museum, Lincolnshire; The Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Newport.
Nahem Shoa (b. 1968, London) lives and works in London. Shoa studied Fine Art at Manchester Polytechnic (1988-1991) before later completing postgraduate studies at The Royal Drawing School (2003-2004). Shoa was the recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshield’s Foundation award (1993-2001), and was the winner of the Royal Society Of Portrait Painters award (1992) and the Lord Leighton Prize (1992-93). Shoa’s exhibition Into The Light (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) was recently selected for the landmark publication The Anomie Review of Contemporary British Painting 3 (Anomie Publishing, 2024).
Recent and selected solo exhibitions and displays include: The London Look, William Hine Gallery, London (2025); Seen and Unseen, Ferens Art Gallery, Hull (2024-25); Nahem Shoa: Into the Light, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK (2023-24); Face of Britain, Southampton Art Gallery, Southampton, UK (2020); Black Presence, The Atkinson, Southport, UK (2019); Facing Yourself, Bury Art Museum, Bury, UK (2006); We Are Here, The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, UK (2005); Giant Heads & Multi Culture, Hartlepool Art Gallery (2004) and Youth Culture/Multi Culture, Plymouth Art Gallery (The Box), Plymouth, UK (2004).
Shoa’s work belongs to numerous public collections, including: Bury Art Museum, Bury, UK; Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, UK; Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM), Exeter, UK; Hartlepool Museums, Hartlepool, UK; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, UK; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK; Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, UK; Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, UK; Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, UK; The Box, Plymouth, UK; Sheffield Museums, Sheffield, UK; Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton, UK; The Atkinson, Southport, UK; The V&A, London, UK.
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