200th Annual Exhibition
9 May to 14 June 2026, Edinburgh, Scotland

Following previous inclusions, Woman #31, from Francisca Prieto’s Denied series, has been selected for the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th Annual Exhibition, open to the public until 14 June 2026.

Woman #31
Brass and antique spoon
23 × 16 × 12 cm
2023

The Denied series is a commentary on the silenced narrative of women and the historical denial of women reaching their full potential due to patriarchal constraints.

Prieto uses collected objects from the past, understatedly arresting in their beauty and craftsmanship, their chipped metalwork or well handled surfaces conjuring images of past hands. These objects of action and purpose are immobilised, suspended in an entrapment that represents the invisible cages in which women have found themselves throughout history. Each metal bar illustrates the barriers placed between women and their aspirations, lines of control and denial.

Prieto carefully creates a purposeful frame which imprisons the object in mid-air, hovering on the brink of action. It mirrors the frustration felt by women as their own actions have been halted by imposed roles, society and the patriarchy.

Yet women have always been determined, as these objects are, to break free. A small part always succeeds in escaping the cage. Despite their obstructions, women continue to push through the barriers, albeit an inch at a time.

200th Annual Exhibition
Royal Scottish Academy
The Mound
Edinburgh EH2 2EL

Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, 12 to 5 pm
Free entry

www.royalscottishacademy.org

https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/artists/1340-francisca-prieto/overview/