Clare Evans is a stepmother and artist. This show grew out of her lived experience of becoming a stepmother and coming to terms with a role she had previously understood through a very different lens. Painting other women in similar situations led to wider conversations about the complexity of occupying a place that can be deeply meaningful while still feeling culturally undefined, or whether it even needs defining.

Set within a converted Victorian fire station, the exhibition presents portraits of fourteen stepmothers, each accompanied by personal reflections from the sitters. Bringing together women from heterosexual and queer families, the work challenges familiar stereotypes and offers honest insights into the experiences of a contemporary stepmother. Throughout the exhibition, a programme of free events, including drawing workshops and two drop-in portrait days, invites stepmothers and blended families to share their own stories and become part of the evolving project.

While millions of women occupy the role of stepmother, contemporary culture offers few meaningful images of them. Even the language surrounding the role can feel inadequate. Through portraiture in oil, acrylic and charcoal, Evans brings these women into view, celebrating the complexity of their experiences and creating space for them to be seen and heard.