Emily Powell is a contemporary British painter. Highly regarded for her use of colour, her practice is heavily inspired by the fauves, yet with a whimsical edge that sees tigers, birds and a myriad of other creatures featuring alongside breathtaking seascapes and bold, iconic florals.
Born in 1990 and growing up in Liverpool, Powell went on to study at Norwich School of Art for her formal training with a sabbatical at the Ecole Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Rouen. She has guest lectured for Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Royal Academy.
Recent exhibitions have seen her hailed as ‘one of the most important emerging artists in the UK today’, seen her painted house go viral on TV and social media across the world, and followed her travels from Arctic Norway to the French Riviera in constant search of challenge.
Chapel of Hope
16th November 2026 - January 2027
Emily Powell Studio, Ullacombe Farm TQ13 9LL
The Chapel of Hope sees Emily Powell construct a chapel within her Devon studio, creating a monument of collective optimism and positivity. In October, artist Emily Powell always paints in her brightest colours. This is the month when, as a seven-year-old, Emily lost her father to cancer.
As she approaches the anniversary each winter, Emily expresses her grief through the most colourful and vibrant paintings and this year Emily is arming herself for the season by enlisting the support of her audience in the creation of a work she has titled the Chapel of Hope.
The Chapel of Hope sees Emily construct a chapel within her Devon studio, creating both a monument of collective optimism and an armoury of positivity.
In preparation for the installation, the artist reached out to her audience with a simple request; that they share their hopes with her - big or small - and from these submissions she pledges to create a collection of paintings honouring this fundamental part of the human spirit.
Works within the chapel will be inspired by the hope for a full night’s sleep; for recovery from illness; for rain to follow this summer’s heatwave; and for peace across the world. The works will each be housed inside the chapel and protected by a hand-painted cloud of floating tigers suspended over the chapel's eaves.
On the work Emily says ‘I wanted to create an intense and undiluted power source of hope to recharge and propel us all through the long dark winter months ahead. As the light of summer recedes into the shadows of winter I find I always need to dial up the colour and the vibrancy of my work and this year I have created a refuge for positivity which will be open to everyone from mid November.’
Tickets available on Eventbrite here or opposite.
Work is available through direct enquiry - WhatsApp or email us - and studio appointments to visit Emily’s Dartmoor studio near Bovey Tracey are highly encouraged.