This group exhibition is inspired by the waterside home of American photographer Alice Austen and her partner, Gertrude Tate. Guest curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley, it brings together a diverse group of artists to explore the enduring relationship between queer women and the seashore. The exhibition’s title references the famous tongue twister “She Sells Sea Shells,” believed to be inspired by 19th-century paleontologist Mary Anning. The show will examine how lesbian artists explore their own connection to water, drawing parallels between Austen’s American homeland and Anning’s British coast.

About the Curator

Gemma Rolls-Bentley has been at the forefront of contemporary art for almost two decades, working passionately to champion diversity in the field. Her debut book Queer Art: From Canvas to Club and the Spaces Between was published in Spring 2024 by Frances Lincoln and has been highlighted as a must-read by Them, Dazed, Timeout, The Guardian, Cultured, and the Financial Times. Her curatorial practice amplifies the work of female and queer artists and provides a platform for art that explores LGBTQIA+ identity.

Gemma has curated for a range of international galleries and institutions, most recently Carl Freedman Gallery, Leslie Lohman Museum of Art, Somerset House, the Tom of Finland Foundation, London Art Fair, and Kkweer Arts. In 2022, she curated the Brighton Beacon Collection, the largest permanent display of queer art in the UK, for Soho House Brighton. She has taught at numerous institutions including the Royal College of Art, the Glasgow School of Art, and Goldsmiths. She co-chairs the board of trustees for the charity Queercircle and sits on both the Courtauld Association Committee and the Leslie Lohman Museum Acquisitions Committee.