Sally Phillips is among the subjects in a new art exhibition entitled Empowering Her featuring the work of portraiture artist Caroline de Peyrecave.
Phillips, most famous for her role in “Smack the Pony,” sits in front of a line of odd socks, representing her three neurodivergent children. The sand at her feet references how much she travelled growing up, and how she now grounds herself with regular visits to the British seaside. Her ballerina skirt is a nod to the dance dreams she had as a child, and the hourglass by her feet symbolises the fear of time running out before she achieves her own storytelling and directing ambitions. Captured in soft, warm, colourful brush strokes, the portrait reveals the depth of Sally’s achievements as a woman and mother, and offers an honest window into personal career insecurities – none of which are immediately visible in the success Sally has achieved in the public eye. The portrait title is ‘Am I Funny?’
In contrast to the playful, colourful tones in Sally’s portrait, former political prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is captured looking directly at the viewer (when she saw the portrait, Nazanin said, “there is a power in my eyes I have never seen before”) set against an arresting light and dark composition. A central shaft of light spotlights the campaigner, who looks both powerful and serene, against shadowy mirror reflections, in reference to her coming into the light of freedom following her captivity. She wears a feminine dress (Nazanin’s love of textiles has recently led to a collaboration with Liberty of London and the Imperial War Museum) and sits next to origami birds – when Nazanin was in prison, she made origami birds with her daughter when she came to visit.
The portraits join a new collection of women-focused oil works by portrait artist Caroline de Peyrecave SWA (Society of Women Artists) to be shown in a new London exhibition, ‘Empowering Her.’ The exhibition seeks to honour, with depth and visibility, eight incredible women shaping Britain today across culture, sport, science and public life, and includes;
tTe other subjects are:
- Daryl Fielding, advertising leader behind Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, founding member of Mad Women and author. Portrait title; ‘Am I Enough?’
- General Dame Sharon Nesmith, Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (UK Defence). Portrait title; ‘What Leadership Requires’
- Zoe Stratford, England Rugby World Cup winning captain and advocate for women in sport. Portrait title; ‘Leading with Strength’
- Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, space scientist and science communicator. Portrait title; ‘Looking Beyond’
- Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, LGBTQ+ activist and co-founder of UK Black Pride. Portrait title; ‘Standing in My Truth’
- Emma Barnett, broadcaster and journalist. Portrait title; ‘Giving Voice’
Portraiture artist Caroline de Peyrecave said; “For years I’ve noticed how women’s achievements are softened, sidelined, or quietly absorbed into the background. Even for famous women, like the ones celebrated in the show, their role is often narrowed down to what they have achieved on the world stage – but as a woman, they are all holding down family, societal expectations, physical challenges, personal insecurities and ordinary life quietly and repeatedly. The show is not just a celebration of the women I have painted, although they are extraordinary, it is a show bringing visibility to all women – their roles in society and their unseen, and often unnoticed, private lives.”
‘Empowering Her’ is an evolving body of work. Alongside the exhibition, a series of portrait-led workshops will take place at the gallery, with further workshops planned in community and corporate settings, and ambitions for future exhibitions and touring. It is hoped that the main portraits featured in the show become part of private collections.
Empowering Her: Wednesday 4th March to Saturday 14th March 2026, The Gallery, Green & Stone, London SW3
