The Medium is the Message

There are few special and unique places left in London, so every gem that is still here, such as the College of Psychic Studies, should be cherished and celebrated, says Rosemary Cronin as she visits the latest exhibition at this enigmatic space.

 

Installation view – centre: Victoria Rance, right: Ariela Widzer. Photo: Dan Weill.

‘I’m afraid this room is closed due to a Sekhmet session’ were the words I was met with when I entered The Medium is the Message exhibition at the College of Psychic Studies; thankfully this exhibition is bountiful across four floors so I didn’t miss out on too much, and the distinct yet delicate drumming that echoed from the Sekhmet room only made my exhibition visit more magical.

 

Sekhmet, Egyptian goddess of war & healing, sort of set the tone for the exhibition for me, in what was a heavily layered and loaded exploration of psychic energy and creativity. Marking over 100 years of the College of Psychic Studies at its current site in South Kensington with over 100 artworks, the history is rich from photographs of Helen Duncan’s ‘ectoplasm’ to the extremely vivid (almost psychedelic) works of Ethel Le Rossignol. Le Rossignol made the works by being shown this vivid exuberant world by a spirit called JPF, as JPF transmitted through Ethel on 24 May 1920, ‘Only the wave of thought is what I send, not a drawing of lines.’

 

The veil is thin within the college and there are other spirits mentioned throughout the exhibition, some of my favourite works being by artist Paulina Peavy, an American artist, inventor, designer, sculptor, poet, writer, and lecturer, alive between 1901 and 1999. Her works were made with her spirit guide Lacamo who existed beyond human conceptions of gender and identity. According to Peavy, Lacamo revealed a vision of the future in which single-sex female reproduction would render men unnecessary. And this is where I started to feel an extra undercurrent throughout the exhibition, where the female artists/mediums throughout the exhibition had a fierce feminist streak through their stories and their work.

Paulina Peavy, Untitled, c.1935, gaphite, charcoal and pastel on paper, 
Paulina Peavy Estate, courtesy Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York. Photo: Siyu Chen Lewis.

Anna Mary Howitt Watts’ truly ethereal works are beautifully curated here by Jacqui McIntosh, shining a light on her delicate works but also her story. After a sharp comment from John Ruskin about her painting of Boudica/Boedecia that suggested the artist should go and paint a pheasant wing instead (how cruel!), he said ‘what do you know about Boudica?!’ Well given that in her time Anna Mary was a founder member of the Langham Place Group which campaigned for improvements in women's rights that became one Britain's first organised women's movements, I would say she could identify quite closely with Boudica! 

Anna Mary Howitt Watts, Untitled, c.1856–72, ink, watercolour and gouache on paper, collection of The College of Psychic Studies. Photo: Siyu Chen Lewis.

There are other feminist stories woven into the exhibition such as Ann Churchill’s intricate line work pieces that were made on the kitchen table whilst looking after her young children – one can only fathom how much energy and focus the works would beckon. And just across from her works is the striking metal work of Victoria Rance that cuts through the gorgeous midnight blue of the college’s Lecture Theatre walls. If you are a fan of ‘mediumistic’ or spirit-based art you may empathise with my one criticism of the movement and often it’s collections, in that it seems to not be so accepting of sculpture as a medium and often the movement is very ‘floaty’ drawing heavy. So Rance’s work and the embroidered fabric work by Chantal Powell was a really nice surprise to see and I’m hopeful that in the future there will be even more of multidisciplinary work showcased at this very special institution.

 

There are other highlights including Austin Osman Spare’s drawings with fantastical perspectives, Ithell Colquhoun’s dream diaries, and a really wondrous drawing by Sidney Manley of his spirit guide – a nun from an unidentified order. Together with his channelled drawings of landscapes, there is a heavy Black Narcissus cinematic energy to his work on display. Give yourself plenty of time to explore this exhibition, open until 31 January 2026, and check the website for opening hours – and look out for Sekhmet.

Rosemary Cronin

 

The Medium is the Message
The College of Psychic Studies
16 Queensberry Place, London SW7

9 October 2025 – 31 January 2026