Presented by Studio Iron at The Painting Rooms in Covent Garden, Severe Mercy brings together the multidisciplinary practice of British-American artist Robin Hunter-Blake in an exhibition that explores the complexities of human experience through material, form and perception.

Running until 27 October 2026, the exhibition stages photography, print and moving images in dialogue with kinetic installation and works on aluminium. Rather than imposing a singular interpretation, Hunter-Blake invites viewers to engage intuitively with the work, allowing individual memories and emotions to shape the experience.

At the heart of Severe Mercy is an interest in how meaning changes over time. Images and objects become vessels for personal associations, their significance shifting according to the person who encounters them. Hunter-Blake’s practice moves fluidly between intimacy and scale. The works on view are as delicate as they are powerful.

The title itself suggests the tension that runs through the exhibition. Severity and mercy appear as opposing forces, yet Hunter-Blake brings them into uneasy proximity, exploring the space between vulnerability and strength. His work resists easy conclusions, instead encouraging a slower, more attentive way of looking.

Highlights include silver and black screen prints, exploring a profound sense of emptiness, capturing the experience of feeling hollow while continuing to exist. These human postures often recall the work of Francis Bacon.

Curated by Isamaya Ffrench, founder of Studio Iron, the exhibition extends into the territory between contemporary art and objects. Selected pieces from Studio Iron’s very ‘S&M’ roster, sit alongside Hunter-Blake’s works, creating an environment in which the boundaries between artistic expression and functional objects begin to dissolve. The dialogue between the pieces adds another dimension to the exhibition, emphasising the emotional and tactile qualities of the objects that surround visitors in this majestic gallery.

Through its considered interplay of image, material and movement, Hunter-Blake invites viewers to look beyond the surface and discover their own points of emotional connection. The exhibition finds its strength in ambiguity, revealing how art can hold contradictions without seeking to resolve them.

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