Over four months, artist and stage designer Es Devlin welcomed 50 strangers, knowing only their names and that at some point they had sought sanctuary in London. She spent the first 45 minutes of each session drawing silently, reflecting on her own biases and assumptions. After hearing her sitters’ stories, she resumed the portraits, whilst listening to podcasts about the conflicts they had fled.

As Devlin explains, “I was drawing my own perspectives and biases. I was trying to draw in order to better perceive and understand the structures of separation, the architectures of otherness that I suspect may stand between us and the porosity to others that we are capable of feeling when these structures soften.”

The show unfolds across three immersive spaces:

The Studio: A replica of Es Devlin’s south London studio, showcasing the 50 chalk and charcoal portraits of individuals who sought refuge in London. The studio is brought to life with notes, sketches, books, and a short film documenting the process.

Congregation: Devlin’s projection-mapped installation, featuring tiered portraits, poetry by JJ Bola, and an evocative soundscape by Polyphonia, blending music by Max Richter and reworked sacred motets performed by choirs including the London Bulgarian Choir and Genesis Sixteen.

New Works: Innovative creations such as painted LED screens and layered projection-mapped glass portraits that merge drawing, painting, and digital art.

Curator : Ekow Eshun

Sat – Wed, 10.00 – 18.00

Thu & Fri, 12.00 – 21.00

Artwork : Face to Face: 50 Encounters with Strangers · © Es Devlin Studio