Foals and Fables - Jessica Hills x Rose Osborn
3rd - 23rd December
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''It’s a pleasure to be asked to write a few words for an exhibition like Foals and Fables, bringing together the work of two exceptional talents; Jessica Hills and Rose Osborn.
This exhibition is a meeting of two kindred spirits. Though they only met in recent years, the bond between Jessica and Rose is anchored in a shared upbringing shaped by the rhythms of rural West Berkshire. Both Rose and Jessica’s upbringing in Lambourn, like Highclere, is a place where horses are not hobbies or symbols, but life itself. Though their styles differ, their foundations are remarkably similar. They share a reverence for the animals they paint - not as subjects, but as co-creators in a lifelong story.
I’ve known Jessica all her life. As her godfather, I’ve watched her artistic eye develop from childhood on a number of varying subjects. To see that evolve into a mature and deeply personal artistic voice is a source of real pride and wonder. A number of years ago I commissioned her to paint our beloved family dog, and when it arrived my wife Carolyn burst into tears at the actual likeness.
In this exhibition Jessica’s works are grounded in what she instinctively knows; the mare and foal and the quiet bond between them that reflect her own experience of motherhood - these are not imagined scenes but lived ones. Many of these beautiful pieces began as sketches and visuals at Highclere Stud. You can feel that familiarity in her detailed work - and the horses come alive in her hands.
Rose brings a different but equally brilliant energy to her works. It’s been a pleasure getting to know her work recently - vibrant, and full of narrative power. Her eye is drawn to the fables that sit just beneath the surface of things. She paints from memory, from imagination, and with daring. I find Aesop’s creatures are full of vitality and mischief under her bold brush strokes. Her stories that are unmistakably her own, have a certain magic that lures you to the canvas and leaves a great imprint on your mind.
As someone who has spent his life around horses, I find it deeply moving to see the animal world expressed with such sensitivity, intelligence, and heart. Foals and Fables is not just an art exhibition; it’s a reminder of how animals shape our inner landscapes, as well as our outer ones.
I warmly invite you to step into this world that Jessica and Rose have created. It is one built on heritage, memory, and shared ground - and it is one I suspect you’ll find difficult to leave behind.''
John Warren
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This December, The Osborne Studio Gallery in Belgravia hosts Foals and Fables, a joint exhibition by British artists Jessica Hills and Rose Osborn. Opening on 3 December 2025, the show features twenty new works, exploring the interwoven connections of humans, animals, and storytelling, seen through two distinct but connected artistic voices.
Both artists share a deep connection to horses and the Lambourn landscape, though their expressions take different paths: Hills grounding herself in the living, breathing presence of the mare and foal; Osborn in the myth, memory, and imagination that animals inspire. The Osborne Studio Gallery has long been at the heart of London’s equestrian and sporting art scene, while also championing figurative, landscape, and bronze sculpture.
Foals and Fables brings together two artists who embody this tradition, uniting the lyrical vitality of the horse with the timeless resonance of fable. Hills, raised in Lambourn’s Valley of the Racehorse, paints mares and foals with an eye shaped by both her upbringing in the racing world and her recent experiences of motherhood. Her paintings explore the psyche of the horse, combining a deep understanding of equine anatomy with a mix of exquisite detail and impressionistic flair.
“I feel a deep connection to my heritage when I paint thoroughbreds.” says Hills. “Choosing mares and foals for this exhibition has allowed me to reflect on my experiences of being a mother at the same time as remembering myself as a child.”
Osborn, based in Lambourn, turns to the rich symbolism of animal fables, weaving folklore and imagination into striking, symbolic compositions. With bold palettes, texture, and influences from folk art and textiles, her work transforms colour and shape into a visual language that reflects universal truths about the human experience.
“Colour has become central to how I paint, I love how one transforms beside another,” says Osborn. “Reading Aesop’s Fables gave me a way to bring animals, people, and storytelling together.”
