Troublemakers and Prophets

Elizabeth Allen and Other Visionary Artists

Saturday 28 March – Monday 31 August 2026

Grace is featuring in an exhibition at Compton Verney as part of an exhibition titled 'Troublemakers and Prophets'.

Discover a bold, immersive exhibition exploring art, isolation and extraordinary vision. 

Elizabeth Allen’s creations are absurd, darkly funny, and strikingly prophetic. In this exhibition she is joined by a host of other “visionary artists” who invite you to step into a vibrant, topsy-turvy world where 12 of her works are displayed alongside more than 15 artists who also saw life differently. Over four rooms, explore bold responses to contemporary life from artists who turn struggle into powerful visual statements. Known as Queen, Allen was on the cusp of wider recognition when she died in 1967, after years of living in a cabin in the forest. Her work reveals a life shaped by fierce conviction and apocalyptic vision.

This exhibition includes the first public showing of Queen’s handmade textile autobiography – the ‘Autobiraggraphy’. Queen’s textile proclamations lead a chorus of works made from fragments – toys, furniture, clothing, news, religion and folklore. From detailed beadwork to large-scale sculpture, these pieces transform everyday chaos into something fantastical, reflective and urgent. 

Troublemakers and Prophets features work by:

Elizabeth Allen, Eleanor May Watson, Helen Chadwick, George Storm Fletcher, Lou Lou Sainsbury, Grace Currie Magic Artist, Uma Breakdown, Louise Odes Neaderland, Lily van Oost, Sian Newlove-Drew, Jesse Jones, Penny Slinger, Mireille Delice, Suzanne Treister, Saroj Patel, Rebecca Nassauer, Grace Ndiritu, Aradne and the Rita Keegan Archive Project (with patchwork contributions by  Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski, Ajamu, Charlie and Kate Boxer, Pat Brown, Althea Greenan, Catherine Grant, Joy Gregory, Anna Harding, Hiroko Hagiwara, Zhi Holloway, Terry Humphrey, Bhajan Hunjan, Symrath Kaur Patti, Amoke Kubat, Samia Malik, Ruth E. Morgan, Virginia Nimarkoh, Georgina Obaya Evans, Elizabeth Oniri, Ingrid Pollard and Olive Pollard, Raju Sachi Singh, Michelle Williams Gamaker, Jacqueline Wright, Keegan Xavi, Rehana Zaman)

For more information visit.. https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/whats-on/troublemakers-and-prophets-elizabeth-allen-and-other-visionary-artists/