‘The Tides We Share’ at the Barbican Library.

On 15th January 2026

The Tides We Share is a dynamic group exhibition presented by the Persephone Collective, a group dedicated to uniting and promoting female artists. This exhibition brings together eight artists from diverse cultural backgrounds whose practices converge around themes of memory, identity, resilience, and transformation.

Rooted in an awareness of our interconnectedness with the natural world, their work also reflects a deep sensitivity to the environment – the cycles of earth, water, and body that shape both personal and collective experience. Through processes that engage organic forms and ecological metaphors, the artists invite viewers to consider how the body and the landscape mirror one another in states of flux, endurance, and renewal.

Through painting, mixed media, photography, installation, and poetry, The Tides We Share creates a powerful interplay between the tactile and the emotional, the personal and the universal. It offers a space where viewers can confront questions about how we frame and reframe our histories, identities, and relationships to the world around us. How do we reconcile the forces of preservation and change? How can we transform pain, memory, and identity into beauty and connection?

Here’s a selection of some of the works on display. I visited feeling fed up on a miserable, cold, wet day and came out smiling!

Abi Ola Swoosh 2 2025 …