Mia Middleton Explores Miscarriage Grief in "Summoning Cleo" at Roberts Projects

Later this week, Mia Middleton, a Lisbon-based artist, will unveil her exhibition "Summoning Cleo" at Roberts Projects in Los Angeles. This marks her second solo showcase with the gallery and signifies a transition to a much larger format. Over the last five years, Middleton has become well-known for her small-scale, cinematic paintings that portray mysterious imagery—such as unworn shoes, the back of a neck, and a solitary balloon—using dramatic shades of crimson and gray. In her latest spectral works, an unseen presence hovers just beyond view, causing distortions in the surrounding environment: birds plummet, bright skies turn dark, and flowers appear in unusual spots. These themes, previously explored in smaller pieces, now resonate on a larger canvas, addressing profound feelings of grief and loss, particularly the sorrow of miscarriage, which the artist identifies as a significant existential struggle. Two pieces from 2026, "The Interval" and "Screen Memory," will be showcased by Roberts Projects.