Jane Bown: Play Shadow offers an intimate portrait of one of Britain’s most revered photographers, Jane Bown (1925–2014), whose quietly powerful black-and-white portraits have become iconic within the canon of twentieth-century photography. 

The exhibition expands beyond the familiar public image of Bown’s work to reveal the deeply personal vision and consistent philosophy that guided her practice: a belief in simplicity, natural light, and the decisive presence of a good face.

Bown’s mastery lay in her ability to work quickly, intuitively, and with minimal equipment, most famously, her Olympus OM-1 and either an 85mm for close up portraits or a 55mm lens when she wanted context for the sitter. Her reliance on natural light, often soft and north-facing, created striking chiaroscuro effects that gave her portraits psychological depth and subtle drama. Play Shadow gestures both to the technical precision with which Bown orchestrated light and to the emotional resonance and mystery she was able to draw out of her subjects, often within moments of meeting them.

Recognised for photographing cultural icons from Samuel Beckett to Queen Elizabeth II, Bown was nonetheless uninterested in celebrity. Her images stripped away artifice, offering instead an honest, often vulnerable glimpse into the human behind the persona. A photograph of Anthony Blunt, taken before the public revelation of his espionage, has since been seen as eerily prescient, light and shadow working not just as aesthetic choices but as metaphors for truth and concealment.

Bown also photographed some of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, including Henry Moore, Paula Rego, David Hockney, and Francis Bacon. This exhibition will feature not only Bown’s portraits of these figures but also selected works by the artists themselves, creating a dynamic conversation between sitter and maker, photograph and artwork.

Jane Bown: Play Shadow celebrates her lasting connection to the region and to future generations of image-makers. An alumna of the Guildford School of Art -UK’s only full-time photography course at the time, directed by Ifor Thomas- now part of the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Bown’s legacy continues to inspire. Current UCA students have been invited to respond to her work, with selected contemporary pieces, and interventions,  included in the exhibition to reflect on her enduring influence.

This exhibition gathers a selection photographs, some rarely shown, across several thematic groupings that explore Bown’s approach to composition, light, and emotional presence. It includes archival material and personal reflections, offering insight into a photographer who saw technological restraint not as a limitation but as a creative discipline.

In an age dominated by fast-evolving technology and visual noise, Jane Bown: Play Shadow invites viewers to slow down and rediscover the power of simplicity: the quiet alchemy between face and light, shadow, and storytelling.

Curator: Dr Loucia Manopoulou, Director Newlands House Gallery