Press Release
For Immediate Release
An Exclusive Opportunity to Acquire Works by Kerry Lemon
Simpling
Solo Exhibition by Kerry Lemon
Preview: Saturday 7 June 2025, 6:00 –8:00 pm, RSVP here
Exhibition dates: 11.06.25 – 04.07.25
Ruup & Form is proud to present Simpling, a solo exhibition by renowned British artist, Kerry Lemon working under her performance persona MRS ROE. This timely body of work reclaims overlooked and suppressed histories—foregrounding the intimate, embodied knowledge of plants as radical agents of sovereignty. Engaging in dialogues that are on the crossroads of reproductive justice, ecological knowledge, and feminist resistance, Simpling is a bold act of reclamation—of land, language, and the right to choose.
Taking its name from the historical practice of ‘simpling”- the harvesting of medicinal plants by local healers, this exhibition recovers and reframes a suppressed tradition. Once demonised and dismissed by patriarchal institutions, these women-led practices now return as emblems of sovereignty and subversion.
Through sculptural works and immersive installation, Lemon reanimates the role of abortifacient plants such as rue, tansy, and pennyroyal. These once-familiar herbs are positioned not as relics, but as radical tools—living archives of care, choice, and defiance. In a world increasingly disconnected from the earth and each other, Simpling invites viewers to reimagine the interdependence of body, plant, and place.
Exclusive New Works - The exhibition is a rare opportunity to collect works by Kerry Lemon. These intimate works, shown for the first time at Ruup & Form, mark a significant shift from her usual large-scale public commissions. During a recent residency in Paris, Lemon developed a new series of four/eight? unique brass wall sculptures, inspired by abortifacient plants and the botanical motifs of Art Nouveau. Each sculpture is a quiet monument to care, subversion, and the enduring wisdom of plants, a meditation, presenting a unique opportunity to privately acquire work from an artist whose practice typically unfolds in the public realm.
About Kerry Lemon
Kerry Lemon is a multidisciplinary British artist and Certified B Corporation. Her practice spans sculpture, performance, drawing and film, grounded in place-based research, ecological systems, and collaborative methodologies. Lemon’s work has been commissioned by institutions and clients including Fortnum & Mason, Jo Malone, Harrods, Chelsea Physic Garden, Historic Royal Palaces, The Times, and Royal Ascot. Across 78 permanent public sculptures in the UK, she advocates for biodiversity, cultural memory, and accessible, socially-engaged artmaking.
Her work as MRS ROE explores the aesthetics and politics of reproductive justice, using the symbolic and material potency of plants to challenge dominant narratives around care, power, and kinship. This expanded persona enables Lemon to operate simultaneously within and against traditional art world structure, foregrounding embodied knowledge, interspecies connection, and feminist resistance.
About Ruup & Form
Ruup & Form is an ever-evolving, dynamic platform dedicated to the advancement of artistic expression. A contemporary gallery based in London, we blend art, craft, and design, embracing fresh voices, styles, and ideas to enrich the cultural landscape. Our collection is a vibrant fusion of creativity, where the latest trends, emerging talents, and established masters exist in harmonious coexistence. We curate museum-quality artwork that enhances both living and working spaces, while supporting talented artists from around the world.
Founded by Varuna Kollanethu in 2019, the gallery's mission is to blur the boundaries between art and craft, foster communities by bringing works to a broader audience, and promote our artists through exhibitions, events, fairs, and educational workshops.
With Collect. Commission. Collaborate. at its core, the gallery partners with artists, educates new collectors, and helps passionate collectors discover exciting new talent.
Public Programming
Plant Knowledge as Power – In Collaboration with Museum of the Home
Thursday 12 June, 6.30–8.30pm
Explore medicinal herbs with Dr Romany Reagan at the Museum of the Home, followed by a group walk to the gallery for an artist-led viewing.
Booking details - to be added
Artist Talk: Kerry Lemon in Conversation
Friday 20 June, 7–8pm
Booking details – to be added
Herbal Knowledge Workshop
With Natasha Richardson, Medical Herbalist & Founder of Forage Botanicals
Saturday 28 June, 2–4pm
Booking details - to be added
Finissage
Friday 4 July, 4-6 pm
RSVP here - to be added
The artist is available throughout the exhibition period to lead bespoke tours
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Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12–6pm, and by appointment
Ruup & Form, 7 Tilney Court, London EC1V 9BQ
Nearest Stations: Old Street / Barbican
For press inquiries, images, or interview requests, please contact:
Email: hello@ruupandform.com
Phone: +44 7724 880218
For Catalogue and Acquisitions
Email: collect@ruupandform.com
Phone: +44 7724 880218
