ALPHA FEMALES | Art Space Portsmouth | 06.09.25 - 21.09.25

Alpha Females

An Exhibition by Cat. A

With contributions from other local artists

Art Space Portsmouth | 6–21 September 2025

Opening Night: Friday 5 September, 5–9pm

Exhibition open: Wednesday–Sunday, 12–4pm

Artist Talk: Sunday 7 September, 2–4pm

What does it mean to be an Alpha Female in 2025?

This September, I’m inviting you into my loud, funny, and deeply personal world with Alpha Females — a new exhibition at Art Space Portsmouth, featuring a mix of my work from the past two years, plus a few contributions from other brilliant local artists.

The show brings together hand-painted text pieces — slogans, overheard conversations, private feelings — blasted onto cardboard, old clothes, bunting, flags, and whatever else I could find. There’s a pyramid that critiques Reform UK while celebrating Shania Twain, a flag aimed squarely at an ex’s racist family members, and lots more where that came from.

I work mostly with found or donated materials, painting with acrylics and Posca pens in my messy all-caps style. The result is a mash-up of protest signs, emotional outbursts, jokes, rants, and moments of catharsis. It’s funny, angry, honest — and definitely personal.

Some highlights:

– Reasons Not to Call Him: my artist’s book of illustrated dating reflections, shown alongside 24 prints

– Banners like Hannah Smith Is My Religion

– Painted rants about exes, scented candles, and Jacob Rees-Mogg

– Protest-style bunting and flags repurposed into miniature emotional battlegrounds

While there’s plenty of humour, this work also digs into identity, relationships, politics, and the blurry line between what we keep private and what we put on display. It’s therapy, but louder.

I’ll also be doing an artist talk on Sunday 7 September, where I’ll speak (no filter) about my process, inspirations, and the messy relationship between art, activism, and dating disasters.

Hope to see you there.— Cat. A