Varvara Roza Galleries is proud to present poíēsis, a major solo exhibition by British artist Tom de Freston. Curated by Vassiliki Tzanakou, the exhibition presents a technically ambitious and visually stunning new body of paintings that explore love, grief, mythology, and the unstable boundary between personal and archetypal experience.
Poíēsis derives from the ancient Greek term ποιεῖν, which means ‘to make’, ‘to create’. It refers to the act of bringing into existence something that did not previously exist. It encompasses a cognitive operation, involving intuition and imagination, and a generative force within both the self and the world.
For over sixteen years, de Freston has painted his wife, the award-winning novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave,in a variety of literary and mythological guises; Ophelia, Lady Macbeth, Eurydice. These portraits are often part of the couple’s rich multimedia collaborations, spanning books, films, graphic novels, and immersive performances.
Poíēsis emerged from a deeply personal journey – following Millwood Hargrave’s pregnancy loss in 2020 and six subsequent miscarriages the couple eventually welcomed their daughter in 2023. These artworks, at once mythic and raw, are elegies and odes to the grief of losing a child, the resilience of love, and the wonder of parenthood. In an exquisite, dreamlike palette, the paintings evoke the body and mind in transition; pregnant, abstracted, dissolving into surfaces and re-emerging from hidden underworlds.
De Freston stages his figures within shifting spaces, architectural grids, natural landscapes and intimate interiors where they hover between visibility and vanishing. Shadows, footprints, and outstretched hands interrupt the scenes, evoking the gaze of both artist and viewer, whilst exploring the dynamics of both distance and empathy. These spaces are psychological hinterlands, invitations to the viewer to enter sacred areas that are always just beyond reach. They are born from a journey through loss and grief but ultimately speak to hope and wonder.
The paintings are in dialogue with de Freston’s acclaimed narrative non-fiction book, Strange Bodies (Granta, 2023), a lyrical blend of memoir, art criticism, and studio reflections. The book traces artistic dialogues with figures such as Francis Bacon, Jadé Fadojutimi, and most notably Titian, whose poesie paintings form a central inspiration. Like Titian, de Freston weaves painting and poetry together, with fragments of Millwood Hargrave’s Eurydice poems, originally composed as part of their multimedia retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice (2014–16), which now echo uncannily through their lived experience.
Following the Varvara Roza exhibition, a second solo show will open at the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge University, curated by Dr Susanna Turner (February-May 2026). Both shows will coincide with the launch of de Freston’s second monograph with Anomie Press, featuring essays by the museum director Professor Caroline Vout, critic Matthew Holman, and a conversation between de Freston and Millwood Hargrave. A short film directed by Mark Jones (Unmarked Film), de Freston’s long-time collaborator, will also be released alongside the exhibition.
Tom de Freston and Kiran Millwood Hargrave are available for interview.
A short film by Mark Jones is also available for selected platforms.
GALLERY INFORMATION
Varvara Roza Galleries
8 Duke Street St James’s
London SW1W 6BN
Tom de Freston (b. 1983) is an artist, writer and illustrator based in Oxford. De Freston studied Fine Art and the Leeds Metropolitan University (2002-2005), followed by an MA in the History of Art from Cambridge University (2005-2007). He has been the recipient of various prestigious Fellowship and Residencies, including a Leverhulme Funded Residency at Cambridge University, the Levy Plumb Award (Christ’s College) and the inaugural Creative Fellowship at Birmingham University. His work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions including the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge University (2026, 2010), Varvara Roza Galleries, London (2025), Old Fire Station, Oxford (2018), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (2017), Battersea Arts Centre, London (2016), Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (2012), Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Tokyo (2012). De Freston’s work is part of private and public collections including Christ’s College, Cambridge University, Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum. Essays on his work have been written by, amongst others, Sir Nicolas Serota, Sir Trevor Nunn, Richard Cork and Professor Lydia Goehr.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave (b.1990) is the Sunday Times bestselling novelist of more than a dozen novels for children and adults, including British Book Award’s Children’s Book of the Year The Girl of Ink & Stars, Betty Trask-awarded The Mercies, The Geomancer Trilogy, and Almost Life. With her husband, she created Julia and the Shark, winner of the Waterstones Gift of the Year, and Leila and the Blue Fox, winner of the Wainwright Prize. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages and optioned for stage and screen.
Varvara Roza Galleries is founded and led by Varvara Roza; a dynamic force in the global contemporary art world. With over a decade of experience as an international artist manager and advisor, Varvara is known for her innovative approach to artist representation, and her ability to navigate the high-end art market with both discretion and impact. Her gallery is mostly dedicated to supporting mid-career and established artists, offering them long-term strategic positioning, global visibility, and access to institutional networks. Varvara’s work is guided by a clear ethos: trust, transparency, and excellence. She has successfully placed works in major collections, museums, and foundations across Europe, the US, and the Middle East, while maintaining strong relationships with auction houses, blue-chip galleries, and key cultural institutions.
Vassiliki Tzanakou is a Greco-British curator and art consultant with over 15 years of experience shaping international exhibitions and advising galleries, museums, and cultural institutions. She has curated more than 30 exhibitions worldwide, establishing herself as a driving force in fostering cross-cultural dialogue, sustainability, and innovation in the arts. As the founder and director of ARTinTRA, she has built a platform for ambitious projects that connect artists and audiences across disciplines and geographies. She is also an associate of Techno-logia Hub at the Athens School of Fine Arts and a mentor to BAME students at Goldsmiths, reflecting her commitment to equity and inclusion. Vassiliki holds an MA in the history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, an MA in Political Communications from Goldsmiths College, and a BA in Politics from the University of Athens. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Theory and History of Art at the Athens School of Fine Arts.