Exhibition Gallery

EXPOSED

“A brave, personal and thought provoking collection of work“

Freya Rickman focuses on the perception of the female body, challenging the pressures and expectations women face in society; the EXPOSED collection reveals this through a series of emotional and confrontational works. The pop up event, which took place on the 18th January 2025, gave audiences the opportunity to stop, think and reflect on their own experiences, as well as the experience of others depicted in the work. In this collection, Rickman examined ‘the emotional and psychological effects spawned from the male gaze through a transition between vulnerability and power’. (Rickman, 2024)

Approaching the end of her Fine Art degree, Rickman has worked intently to showcase her work as a collection which explores complex ideas relating to feminism and human experience, influenced by a range of thinkers such as Laura Mulvey, Julia Kristeva and John Berger. Each of these individuals played a significant role in Rickman’s research, providing a theoretical perspective in regards to feminism and the male gaze. Artists such as Jenny Saville, Lucian Freud and Tracey Emin have also inspired visual aspects of Rickman’s work through the use of subject matter, composition, concept and application.

The artist’s liberal use of oil paint is witnessed through textural elements which allow colours to blend and clash whilst embedding realistic skin complexions onto the canvas. Those that observed the work up close commented on the layers of paint and how they begin to expose more the closer they are examined. The depiction of the nude body has been handled with confidence, delicacy and technical skill. These compositions held a vocal point throughout the exhibition, especially the large scale piece, The Examination, which was hung from the ceiling to encourage the audience to lean over the floating work to imitate an autopsy, viewing the body as though it were an object, not a person.

The local event left some people wiping their faces with tears after forming emotional connections with works that reflect heavily on body image and difficult experiences. After receiving negative comments on her own body, Rickman took it upon herself to use this experience as a powerful tool to inspire other women who have gone through similar scenarios which have impacted their self-esteem. The process of reflecting, researching and making eventually evolved into a personal encounter of experiences.

Not only did Rickman involve those close to her in the collection, but had also collaborated with model and influencer, Danielle Moore, who is also known as ‘the_boob_battle’ on Instagram. Working so closely with a woman who has had a double mastectomy as a result of her battle with breast cancer, proved to contribute a sense of confidence, healing and beauty portrayed in a delicate way. This is not the first time Rickman has responded to the impact cancer has on women, as she dedicated the EXPOSED exhibition to her bereaved stepmother who sadly passed away after a brutal battle with cervical cancer. The artist has witnessed first hand the mental, emotional and physical effects of cancer, which almost made it her mission to take away this control from this awful disease and use it to transform this vulnerability into a powerful statement.

Freya Rickman’s journey as an artist has only just started, therefore the process of creating new works, experimenting with different media, and introducing new collaborations will continue to flourish and progress.