June has kindly offered to share with us an out-of-hours viewing of her first solo exhibition, Diving Queens: Portraits of Resilience and if there is time we will also have a studio visit (please note there are quite a few stairs to access this part of the event).
 
In this series of paintings from the past two years, June Nelson explores the tension between identity, history, and transformation through portrayals of surreal, enigmatic figures adorned with deep-sea diving helmets, ruffs, and boxing gloves. Drawing inspiration from Elizabethan and Flemish portraiture, the paintings blend tradition with the absurd, where symbols of protection and restriction —such as the rigid ruff and the isolating helmet— contrast with gestures of defiance and self-exploration.
 

Expect to see women in ambiguous spaces, caught between concealment and revelation. One kneels in frustration; another clutches a helmet like a burden or relic, while others meet the viewer’s gaze with a regal, alien intensity. The paintings aim to create a surface that is both inviting and unsettling, describing a space where humour, vulnerability, and strength collide.
 
This is a free BMN event. All are welcome.
 
June is an artist based in Lewes and a long term member of Blue Monkey. You can find out more about her practice here.
 

This event is in Brighton and for those that will be traveling by train, we suggest catching the train that arrives in Brighton at 18:09 (with plenty of time to walk down to Phoenix).  PLEASE CHECK this for yourself but this train should leave Hastings at 16:56, St Leonards Warrior Square 16.59, Bexhill 17:06, Collington 17:09, Eastbourne 17:30, Polegate 17:37 Lewes 17:52.
 
If you can’t make this event then June’s show runs 5–27 April. Exhibition Preview is Friday 4 April, 6.00 – 8.00pm - please RSVP via her website if you would like to attend the opening event.