21 Female Artists Launch New Exhibition With a Mass “Die-in” on Shoreditch High Street
This July, renowned photographic performance artist Stephanie Leigh Rose also known as her artistic alter ego STEFDIES brings a radical and celebratory new exhibition to BOXPARK Shoreditch.
STEFDIES With Friends: THE AUDACITY – The Female Gaze & Taking Up Space is a bold group show featuring work from 21 UK-based female-identifying artists, unified by a shared mission: to unapologetically take up space.
Running from 4 to 27 July, the exhibition is a living, breathing feminist ecosystem melding large-scale visual art, performance, workshops, yoga, and mother-friendly community programming into a space of creativity, healing, and joyful resistance.
The show launched last Thursday (3rd July) with a powerful and provocative performance: a mass “die-in” that saw all 21 artists and STEFDIES herself lie face-down both in the newly curated gallery space, and outside BOXPARK in full view of equally intrigued and confused onlookers leaving Shoreditch High Street station. This public display of female solidarity is what became a hilarious, emotional act of resistance and shared presence.
It was a powerful visual protest and a tongue-in-cheek reclaiming of space.
“This is what it looks like when women take up space on their own terms,” says Stephanie Leigh Rose. “Grounded, unapologetic, and completely in on the joke.”
Originally pioneered by Stephanie Leigh Rose as part of the global anti-selfie movement, the STEFDIES performances subvert visibility and vanity to create something collective, absurd, and unforgettable.
“As women we are constantly told to shrink ourselves. So we lay down and expanded – together,” says Leigh Rose. “It’s protest, it’s presence, it’s performance. And yes, it’s funny too.”
“In a world where women are told to be smaller, quieter, younger, this is the audacity of doing the opposite,” she adds. “This show is absurd, emotional, and joyful. It’s a big, loud invitation to take up space without apology.”
All 21 participating artists are united by the shared theme of taking up space: physically, emotionally, and creatively. Their work challenges the idea that women must shrink to fit into the spaces allowed them. Instead, this show amplifies female voices, celebrates vulnerability, and creates a space for connection, skill-sharing, and collaboration.
One of the artists involved Courtney Kusitor says,
“It was a resounding yes when Stef asked me to take part in The Audacity. I think it’s really important for artists to come together and put on an exhibition – especially women and women-identifying artists. We’re playing catch-up, and like the old saying goes: “if you want something done…”
“From the start, it was a show of solidarity. We’ve all worked together tirelessly over the last few months to launch this show, from accepting Stef’s invitation, to creating and cheering her (and each other) on in the group chat, to finally rallying together on the finishing touches to open the show. … and the die-in?! There was a freeness, a surrender to lying there in a motionless, meditative state. I loved every minute of it. I feel grateful and honoured to be exhibiting with these 20 extraordinary artists” she adds.
Artist Natacha Bisarre also commented,
“The experience of “dieing” in STEFDIES fashion was hugely cathartic: it’s like a moment to physically demonstrate and embody what it feels like to be silenced as a woman, with an added layer of voyeurism that any onlooker unwittingly participates in, in effect watching us die again comments on how nothing seems to change in spite of the female uproar of our time.
She adds, “It’s very moving and all the more so for it being hilarious at the same time. And of course the position of stillness in such a seemingly ungainly posture is in direct contrast to how women are expected to present themselves, that’s possibly the most enjoyable part for me! Like a positively “fuck you” moment to society. I love it all.”
THE AUDACITY features:
- 12 solo wall installations from emerging and established artists
- A newcomers’ gallery alongside work from familiar faces
- A ground mural, tactile textiles, pottery, and wearable works
- A full calendar of daily events, including:
- Artist-led workshops (painting, collage, kids’ sessions)
- Live painting
- Yoga and massage pop-ups
- Mother-and-baby mornings
Highlights include emotionally resonant portraiture by Karen Turner, satirical and subversive mixed-media work by Willow Stacey, and bold statements from rising artists representing underrepresented communities.
Stephanie Leigh Rose says,
“This exhibition is something I’ve been building towards for a long time – it feels like a synthesis of my life’s work as a practising artist, a human, and a woman.”
“I used the word ‘Audacity’ in the exhibition title as this is a common response to my work. People ask ‘Who does she think she is?’- especially when you don’t come from a traditional visual arts background or own a gallery. This is about giving ourselves permission. Taking up space. Owning it” says Stephanie Leigh Rose.
Curated by STEFDIES, the exhibition channels Leigh Rose’s own experience in theatre, performance art, and activism. With over 80,000 followers, her STEFDIES character has captured imaginations worldwide – transforming the personal into the political through humor, protest, and grounded performance.
THE AUDACITY marks the first outing of what Leigh Rose hopes will grow into a broader creative movement – supporting sustainable, inclusive platforms for female artists through residencies, mentorships, and future collaborative exhibitions under The Audacity banner.
Participating Artists Include:
STEFDIES · Karen Turner · Willow Stacey · Caroline Banks · Natacha Bisarre · Lene Bladbjerg · Inkteraktiv · Jody DeSchutter · Jessica Dunn · Lucy SM Johnston · Courtenay Kusitor · Danic Lago · Delphine Lebourgeois · Lauren Ly · Louise Nordh · Yuria Orellana · Ansley Randall · Constance Regardsoe · Rosie Rushton · Pippa Smith · Kayleigh Young
Public Exhibition: 4–27 July 2025
Location: BOXPARK Shoreditch Gallery, London
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 12–7pm | Sat & Sun 1–7pm
Special Sessions: 9am–12pm & 7–9pm
Closing Event: Saturday, 26 July 2025