June Nelson's 'Diving Queens: Portraits of Resilience' at Phoenix Art Space

June Nelson's 'Diving Queens: Portraits of Resilience' is at Phoenix Art Space, Brighton, from April 5 to 27, 2025. The exhibition features sixteen paintings that explore female agency through historical references, incorporating diving helmets, Elizabethan ruffs, and boxing gloves. Key works include 'Beyond Countenance', 'Regalia', 'At The Court of the Pugilist' (all 2025), 'Diver, Deep Brown', 'Red Gloves' (both 2024), 'Helping Hands' (June 2024), and 'In Silence Sealed' (2025). Themes include seeing versus silencing and repression. The layout encourages individual viewing, with 'Red Gloves' depicting strength through vulnerability and 'In Silence Sealed' implying secrecy. Nelson connects her work to hidden matriarchal histories, emphasizing painting's relevance to contemporary feminist perspectives.