Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead is pleased to present a solo exhibition of work by the late Milly Thompson, a prolific painter, sculptor, video artist and writer.

Part of the renowned artist group BANK, Thompson (1964-2022) went on to establish a solo practice, in which she irreverently lampooned the hegemonic force of luxury consumer culture on women, and celebrated the middle-aged female body for its libidinal power. Showing works from 2010 onwards, the exhibition strongly renders and establishes a sense of the female gaze, privileging female desire, glamour, and a purposeful slipperiness of artistic voice and persona that constantly questions the stakes of making art.

Opening 28 March 2026, Milly Thompson's painting drew inspiration from a wide range of influences, including Francis Picabia, Shirley Valentine, Jean Rhys, Japanese woodcuts, and even emojis. This diverse array of sources helps establish a relaxed, indulgent visual style that portrays everything from cellulite and sunbathing to lobster with sorbet.

Works like Hunter Watching the Beach (2016) and La Vergne in the Afternoon (2017) embody her playful reappropriation of the exoticised and eroticised female nude, reinterpreting this traditional art trope through a contemporary lens by integrating middle-aged bodies in vivid, sun-bleached hues. Later works, such as Temple Creation (2020) and Scuba Sauvage Azure Bleu (2021), introduce bold new visual approaches, blending ink washes, experimental canvases, fluid lines, and emoji symbolism. These pieces articulate the struggles and triumphs of the female body gaining agency amidst the distorting pressures of mediated beauty standards.

Published by Goldsmiths CCA with support from Baltic, the exhibition is accompanied by a publication featuring essays by Sally O’Reilly, Linsey Young, and a transcribed roundtable discussion between Thompson’s friends and collaborators, artists Emma Kay, Alison Jones, Gareth Jones and Des Hughes.

The exhibition has been organised by Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art with Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The Estate of Milly Thompson is represented by Amanda Wilkinson Gallery.