In the heart of South Kensington, nestled within the elegant Victorian townhouse of the College of Psychic Studies, the 2022 autumn exhibition, Creative Spirits, opened its doors to a spellbound audience. Over 14 rooms and six floors, visitors were invited on an extraordinary odyssey into realms beyond the ordinary, exploring the art and photography of 100 mediums, dreamers, and visionaries spanning the past 165 years. The exhibition was more than a display of visual creativity; it was a bridge between the tangible and the liminal, a place where the unseen becomes felt, and the ineffable can be glimpsed.
From the moment visitors entered the College, a subtle energy pervaded the air. The works on display were not simply to be seen—they demanded to be experienced. Each room, meticulously curated by College Archivist and Curator Vivienne Roberts and College Principal Gill Matini, offered a different lens into the hidden dimensions of creativity. Here, the spirit of the artist resonates with the observer, drawing them into dialogues that transcend time, space, and the ordinary boundaries of perception.
One of the exhibition’s most compelling highlights was the work of Aleksandra Ionowa (1899–1980), often described as Finland’s Hilma af Klint. For the first time outside her homeland, 56 of Ionowa’s drawings were exhibited, offering a breathtaking glimpse into her visionary process. The drawings, rich in symbolic complexity and spiritual insight, lined the walls with a vibrancy that seemed to pulse with life. Portraits, abstract explorations, and metaphysical compositions invited the viewer to contemplate the hidden forces that shape existence. A film accompanying the room provided rare insight into Ionowa’s working methods, revealing an artist deeply attuned to the invisible currents of consciousness.
Equally striking was the room devoted to the automatic drawings of Anna Mary Howitt Watts (1824–1884), a founding member of the College and a pioneering mediumistic artist. Howitt Watts’ work, ethereal and fluid, channels the very essence of spiritual vision. Her art is a testament to the power of intuitive creation, and her role as a champion of women’s reforms in Victorian England adds historical and cultural depth to her luminous drawings. Standing before her works, visitors often felt a quiet sense of reverence, as if the artist’s hand were guiding them beyond the limitations of the material world.
The exhibition also cast a bright spotlight on visionary women artists from across the globe. Rooms filled with paintings, sculptures, and drawings by artists such as Ithell Colquhoun, Grace Pailthorpe, Madge Gill, Louise Janin, and Anna Zemánková celebrated female creativity and resilience. Colquhoun’s surrealist visions, Pailthorpe’s delicate watercolours, and Gill’s intricate, almost hypnotic designs formed a tapestry of imagination that spanned continents and decades. The works revealed that visionary art is not merely a genre—it is a philosophy, a lens through which to view reality itself as permeable, responsive, and alive with unseen forces.
The College paid homage to its esoteric roots through a celebration of the history of tarot and the women of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. A rare pastel drawing by Moina Mathers (1865–1928), founder of the Golden Dawn, was presented to the public for the first time since it was shown at the 1903 Paris Salon d’Automne. This singular piece, imbued with symbolic resonance and historical significance, reminded viewers of the enduring influence of women in shaping both the spiritual and artistic landscape of the modern era.
From historical to contemporary, the exhibition embraced a remarkable diversity of global talent. Benjamin Creme, Christian Román, Akio Kontani, Katja Tschährä, Justin Duerr, Frances Smokowski, and Margot offered works that ranged from contemplative abstractions to bold, experimental compositions. Their art continued the dialogue of visionary creativity, demonstrating that the impulse to explore the unseen is timeless and borderless. Each piece, whether a monumental oil painting or a finely detailed drawing, spoke of an artist attuned to energies beyond the visible spectrum, capturing glimpses of dreams, visions, and spiritual intuition.
Visitors were invited not only to witness these extraordinary works but to participate in the living spirit of creativity. The College encouraged attendees to engage with their own visionary faculties through the 2022 art competition, Inspiration from Dreams and Visions. This inclusive initiative welcomed submissions from all, embracing the belief that the capacity to channel and express spiritual insight is a human inheritance, accessible to anyone willing to listen inwardly and create authentically.
Beyond the artworks themselves, the exhibition offered spaces for quiet reflection and study. The College’s specialist esoteric library provided an opportunity to delve deeper into the history, philosophy, and practices that inform the exhibited works. The meditative sanctuary offered a contrasting space of calm, allowing visitors to integrate their experiences and enter a personal dialogue with the unseen. Guided tours and a programme of talks by tutors and visiting experts enriched the exhibition further, weaving narrative, context, and insight into the visual tapestry.
The resonance of Creative Spirits was perhaps best captured by those who wandered its halls with open hearts. Many remarked on the uplifting quality of the show—a subtle, yet profound, sense of expansion that transformed a simple visit into a journey of perception. Artworks that might initially appear enigmatic revealed themselves over time, each encounter a step deeper into understanding the complex interplay of creativity, spirituality, and consciousness.
Historically, the College of Psychic Studies has been a beacon for those interested in exploring the nature of consciousness beyond matter. Founded in 1884 as the London Spiritualist Alliance, it has evolved to embrace a wider exploration of spiritual phenomena, offering courses, workshops, lectures, and consultations across a range of disciplines from mediumship and healing to astrology, tarot, and numerology. Creative Spirits 2022 reflects this ethos, blending education, inspiration, and experiential engagement into a seamless encounter with the extraordinary.
The exhibition was not merely retrospective; it was also forward-looking. By featuring contemporary artists alongside historical figures, Creative Spirits created a bridge across time, demonstrating that visionary art is an ongoing dialogue rather than a static category. The show’s scope, scale, and ambition were remarkable, encompassing centuries of exploration and hundreds of individual creative voices while maintaining an intimate sense of personal engagement and discovery.
From the historical treasures of Anna Mary Howitt Watts and Moina Mathers to the contemporary marvels of Aleksandra Ionowa, Julia Oak, and Justin Duerr, Creative Spirits 2022 offered a panoramic view of the human spirit as it reaches toward the invisible. Each visitor left carrying a sense of having glimpsed a world just beyond the veil—a realm where imagination, intuition, and spiritual insight converge into expression that is at once beautiful, unsettling, and profoundly inspiring.
In conclusion, Creative Spirits 2022 was a triumph not only for the College of Psychic Studies but for all who attended. It reminded us that art is more than decoration or entertainment; it is a language of the soul, a means to navigate the unknown, and a conduit to the extraordinary. For anyone seeking to explore the interplay between creativity and consciousness, this exhibition offered a rare, luminous, and transformative journey—a testament to the enduring power of visionary art.
