22 October – 5 November 2026 · Zebra One Gallery, 73a Hampstead High Street, London NW3 1QX
This October, Zebra One Gallery in Hampstead presents Anima — Occupying Space, a new solo exhibition by acclaimed British figurative painter Helen Masacz. Bringing together a compelling new body of oil paintings, the exhibition explores identity, presence and the complex psychological landscapes we inhabit. Running from 22 October to 5 November 2026, the exhibition marks a significant new chapter in Masacz's practice. Working through symbolism, narrative and the painted human figure, Anima — Occupying Space considers the intimate relationship between the internal self and the physical world.
The Concept of Anima
At the heart of the exhibition is the idea of anima — Carl Jung's term for the inner, often hidden dimension of the psyche. Masacz uses painting as a vehicle for entering that internal landscape, creating works in which the physical setting becomes inseparable from the emotional and psychological state of the figures within it. The result is a series that is both deeply intimate and quietly unsettling. Her subjects appear suspended between opposing states: between vulnerability and strength, stillness and resistance, exposure and concealment. The paintings ask us to consider not simply who we are, but how we occupy space — physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Between the Maternal and the Defiant
Masacz's new paintings are shaped by a series of opposing forces. The maternal meets the defiant; the sacred encounters the rebellious; tenderness sits alongside confrontation. These dualities give the work its characteristic tension. Rather than presenting the figure as a straightforward portrait subject, Masacz treats the body, gesture, setting and objects within the composition as symbolic elements. Her paintings can feel like fragments of a larger, cinematic narrative — moments frozen in time where something momentous has occurred or is about to happen, yet remains deliberately unresolved. Faces, bodies and rooms become sites of concealment as much as revelation. Light draws attention to delicate nuances while allowing others to retreat into shadow, creating rich canvases that reward prolonged looking.
A Painter Concerned with the Human Condition
Masacz has built her distinguished practice around the human condition, using figurative painting to investigate transition, relationships, memory, identity and time. Her work unites a rigorous classical understanding of the painted figure with an acute contemporary psychological sensibility. Based in West Sussex, Masacz studied Fine Art at university before completing intensive classical Atelier training in London. Her career has included notable exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery — where her work was selected twice for the prestigious BP Portrait Award — and regular appearances with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at Mall Galleries. Her honours include the Arts Club Award from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, alongside major recognition in the Women in Art Prize, where she won the Riverstone Living Prize in 2025 for a solo exhibition. Her work is held in prestigious public and private collections, including Mansfield College, Oxford University.
Occupying Space
The title Anima — Occupying Space is deliberately open-ended. To occupy space is to be visible, to assert presence, to claim belonging. But it also entails negotiating boundaries — deciding when to step forward and when to withdraw. Masacz's subjects do not merely inhabit the rooms and landscapes depicted around them; they subtly alter those spaces through their quiet presence. Interiors become psychological landscapes, while gestures and objects carry symbolic weight. In an era of constant visibility, Anima — Occupying Space invites us to consider the crucial difference between being seen and being truly revealed.
Helen Masacz at Zebra One Gallery
For Zebra One Gallery, the exhibition represents a highlight in its landmark 50th year. Established in Hampstead in 1976, Zebra One Gallery enters half a century of curating significant contemporary art, photography, prints and painting. Anima — Occupying Space continues that long-standing programme with a body of work deeply rooted in classical figurative painting while speaking directly to contemporary questions.
Anima — Occupying Space · Helen Masacz Exhibition: 22 October – 5 November 2026 Private View: Thursday 22 October 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Zebra One Gallery, Perrins Court, 73a Hampstead High Street, Hampstead, London NW3 1QX RSVP: info@zebraonegallery.com