Join us for a thought-provoking conversation between acclaimed artist Sarah Slappey and esteemed independent curator and writer Vanessa Murrell at Bernheim Gallery, London. This discussion will dive into the themes of "Bloodline," Slappey’s latest body of work, currently on view at the gallery. Known for her exploration of the human body through a surreal and visceral lens, she creates fluid, dreamlike paintings that challenge traditional notions of form, gender, and physicality.
In conversation with Vanessa Murrell, co-founder of DATEAGLE ART and YE Collective, Slappey will reflect on the conceptual underpinnings of her work, including its connection to feminist theory, embodiment, and power dynamics. Vanessa, focused on the nuances of the female experience, fear, trauma, agency, and the interplay between body and space, will bring her extensive background in critical theory, curatorial practice, and interdisciplinary research to the conversation. Together, they will draw parallels between Slappey’s art and broader societal issues.
This talk will explore how the artist's fluid, exaggerated figures disrupt and reimagine physical boundaries, making space for vulnerable, intimate, and sometimes unsettling representations of the body. They will also discuss how both their practices intersect with contemporary discussions on identity, power structures, and the post-digital age.
This is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the creative process behind Sarah Slappey’s hauntingly beautiful works and to engage with her ideas in dialogue with one of today’s leading voices in critical curatorial and written practice.
After the talk, Murrell will read her newly commissioned text Yours Truly, a response to the work of Sarah Slappey. The text dismantles the layers of polite language, revealing how women often self-edit—how they harden to resist narrow confines or bend, soften, and shrink to fit the spaces left for them. Slappey’s work reflects this tension: hard marble, soft skin. Control and release. Bodies twisted within the grids that restrict them. Murrell’s text inhabits this same friction—between what’s spoken and what’s swallowed, between the professional mask and the urge to tear it off.
About the Artist:
Sarah Slappey is an American painter known for her surreal, fluid depictions of the human body, exploring themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and power. Her works have been exhibited internationally, and her latest series, "Bloodline," pushes the boundaries of figurative painting.
About the Moderator:
Vanessa Murrell is a Spanish independent curator and writer with a focus on participatory and collective initiatives. Co-founder of YE Collective and DATEAGLE ART, she is committed to addressing societal issues through interdisciplinary research and cultural action. She is currently a curatorial resident at Villa Lena Foundation and a Creative Writing student at Oxford University.
