Curating Women by Women.3 for March 2026

Women by Women.3
PV 06/03 6-9pm
07/03-11/03, open daily 11am-6pm
Centrespace Gallery, 6 Leonard Lane BS1 1EA Bristol

March is the most exciting month in my work calendar because it marks International Women’s Day. The way I like to celebrate this day is, of course, by organising and curating the exhibition Women by Women. For the show’s third rendition we returned to Centrespace Gallery in Bristol.

‘Women by Women’ is a celebration of personalities, stories and lived experiences. It is an ode to our community and our most treasured relationships with others and ourselves – past, present and future versions. ‘Women by Women.3’ is a group exhibition showcasing work by 24 female and non-binary artists. Their work emerges from a place of the most inherent, personal, deep-rooted and true emotion meanwhile exploring an ever changing terrain. Whilst the artists tell their stories from where they stand, joining together in a space weaves these individuals together in conversation, a shared history, and a communal experience. This collection of work explores the joys, pains and complexities of womanhood through a variety of personal and communal perspectives on identity, relationship and body. ‘Women by Women’ is an annual exhibition that marks International Women’s Day, and strives to broaden why, how and who we celebrate on this day.

The artists I involved this year included a lot of our past exhibitors as well as a handful of new collaborators: Jessica Akerman, Katherine Allen, Fra Beecher, Amber Bardell, Bilqees, Caitlin Booton, Sophie Bowen, Sonja Burnie, Jessi Chiang, Ana Clark Ribeiro, Emily Gibbard, Martyna Gradziel, Dani Hawkes, Jodi Hunt, Donna Lyons, Claudia Naen, Martha Opher, Jazz Potter, Sanni Pyhänniska, Saski Richmond, Nia Samuels, Emily Seffar, Ellie Shipman and Jasmine Smail.

20% of all sales proceeds and 100% of bar proceeds raised money for Global Fund for Women, and this year’s exhibition donations pot was our biggest one to date.

Our private view event brought in a record amount of people, and our bar ran out of all drinks – twice! Safe to say, the event was a hit and a true testament to the creative community in Bristol.

Photos by Sinag Yuson

Alongside the exhibition, a programme of workshops and life drawing run by some of our exhibiting artists filled the space on every day of the show to bring creativity and engagement to the gallery, and to further create accessibility to a traditional visitor experience. On the final day of the exhibition artist Fra Beecher led a ‘Collaborative Poetry Workshop’ about the exhibition and presented the poem to the artists at our closing ceremony before it was time to bid Women by Women goodbye – for this year.

Being a woman, today
living with our own cycles
the need to feel purpose
woven in nature
resisting amongst the gloss
calming our bodies
form and fluidity
scruffy, imperfect, honest
a nurturing group of women
held
she truly is remarkable

Our collective experience
the joys, pains and complexities of womanhood
a shared history
never being enough
new capacities for love
the dance of colours
celebration of life
tell our stories from where we stand
hidden labour
strength and resilience
embracing joy

An entrance to a world of
power, pain, care and love
celebrate the act of making
the body you live in
exploring an ever changing terrain
renew, emerge, waver, gather, shift and ground
soft and strong
seeking safety in sisterhood
inspire me, my friends

As wom*n
simultaneously visible and invisible
we need each other
offering, rising, sisters
deeply supportive
slow winds work these words of love around you
holding so much
paint and print
vibrancy and depth
integrity and intention
side by side
women by women