In Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, Lize Bartelli paints a world where beauty, identity, and resistance collide. Curated by Marisa Bellani to coincide with London Gallery Weekend 2025, this new body of work—her first solo exhibition in London—challenges the expectations placed on women, expectations that have echoed through history, shaping perceptions of desirability, power, and self-worth.
Taking its title from The Smiths’ melancholic ballad of longing and validation, the exhibition speaks to the unspoken rules that dictate how women are seen and valued. Youth is idolised, beauty is commodified, and desirability is often mistaken for worth. But Bartelli resists these pressures. Instead, her paintings celebrate autonomy, confidence, and the quiet acts of rebellion that define female agency.
The exhibition takes place at 12 Saint George Street, Mayfair, London W1S 2FB