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Unit is pleased to announce that two works by Jess Allen and Stacey Gillian Abe have entered the all-female collection of the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM), a new institution opened in Mougins, South of France.
The collection was formed by Christian Levett, a prolific art collector and founder and owner of the Mougins Museum. The new Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins opened its doors in June 2024 as a space dedicated to the historic and contemporary contributions of female artists. After 12 years as the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, the new collection features a diverse collection of over 80 female artists spanning Impressionists to the contemporary. The museum is situated amongst the panoramic views and narrow cobbled streets of Mougins, a mediaeval town near Cannes that has inspired artists from antiquity to icons of the 20th century.
Jess Allen is a British artist based in Cornwall. Her rich paintings of shadows and interiors capture moments of the artist’s daily life while extending to a sense of universal understanding. Her paintings depict the drama and romance of domesticity, where shadows and sofa cushions capture the interior worlds of her anonymous subjects. The artwork acquired by FAMM, I even dream of you (2024), was featured in Allen’s recent solo exhibition, This is Now at Unit in March 2024. The exhibition brought the viewer into Allen’s living room, including them as a participant in her daily experience and allowing them to see their world through Allen’s observant brushstrokes.
Stacey Gillian Abe is a Ugandan artist whose figurative paintings confront the traditional depiction of the Black body. Relating to narratives of identity, gender, spirituality and cultural mysticism, her often autobiographical work landed her on the 2018 list of Forbes Africa 30 under 30 Creatives. Whispers of Sorghum II (2023) challenges a colonial narrative of the black body. The reference to Sorghum and indigo reimagine our societal values, sparking a new dialogue on the possible alternative future of race and humanity. Abe’s work will be featured in an upcoming solo exhibition with Unit in 2025.
Beyond their impressive accolades and gallery shows, Allen’s and Abe’s paintings are held in numerous public collections around the world.
Abe’s works are also held in public collections of the Pizzuti Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art, USA, 21c Museum, Chicago, USA, Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels, Belgium, W Art Foundation, Hong Kong, and Weaverbird Sculpture Park, Masaka, Uganda
Allen’s work is also held in the collections of the Bunker Foundation (Rudin De Woody Collection), USA; Elie Khouri Art Foundation, Dubai, UAE; Sigg Art Foundation, Le Castellet, France; and The Corridor Foundation, China.
