THE UNTITLED SPACE PRESENTS “DOMESTIC ABYSS” BY SARAH MAPLE & MEG MOSLEY IN CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
In celebration of Women’s History Month, The Untitled Space is presenting the exhibition “Domestic Abyss,” a collaborative photographic series by award-winning artists Sarah Maple and Meg Mosley, released as an Artsy Online Exclusive. The series marks the first collaboration between the two artists, bringing together their distinct practices to examine the complexities of contemporary womanhood through carefully staged still-life compositions.
In “Domestic Abyss,” Maple and Mosley transform domestic interiors into conceptual landscapes that explore the emotional and cultural weight embedded within everyday objects. The works present meticulously constructed scenes where symbolic items—cakes, cleaning tools, flowers, household accessories—take on layered meanings. Through these images, the artists interrogate the expectations historically placed upon women and the often invisible labor embedded within domestic life.
Rather than presenting the home as a romanticized refuge, the series frames it as a psychological terrain shaped by memory, performance, desire, and constraint. Within these compositions, stillness carries tension and absence suggests presence. The “abyss” referenced in the title does not signify emptiness, but rather the dense accumulation of inherited roles, emotional labor, societal projections, and contradictions that continue to shape female identity.
Maple’s practice is widely recognized for its sharp, often humorous dismantling of stereotypes surrounding identity, religion, feminism, and cultural expectation. Her work frequently positions herself as both subject and protagonist, using irony and bold visual language to challenge dominant narratives. In this collaboration, her conceptual approach merges with Mosley’s precise visual storytelling, creating a series that balances wit with psychological depth.
Mosley’s work often explores the emotional architecture of everyday life through staged photography, performance, and video. Known for her meticulous attention to detail—from production design to costume and composition—she constructs visual narratives that examine mainstream desires and social norms surrounding femininity and identity. In “Domestic Abyss,” her approach amplifies the symbolic potential of ordinary objects, transforming domestic scenes into theatrical moments that reveal underlying tensions.
Together, the artists use the language of still life to expose the contradictions embedded within traditional gender roles. A wedding cake becomes a site of expectation and performance; cleaning tools evoke labor and resilience; everyday objects become metaphors for societal pressure and inherited narratives. Through humor, irony, and carefully composed imagery, “Domestic Abyss” invites viewers to reconsider the meaning of domestic space and the complex realities that exist within it.
The collaboration also reflects the strength of dialogue between artists working from shared thematic concerns. By merging their perspectives, Maple and Mosley create a body of work that feels both intimate and culturally resonant, speaking to ongoing conversations around gender, labor, identity, and the evolving role of women in contemporary society.
Sarah Maple is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist whose work spans performance, painting, installation, collage, photography, and film. Since graduating with a BA in Fine Art from Kingston University London in 2007—the same year she received The Saatchi Gallery’s “4 New Sensations” award—Maple has exhibited internationally at institutions including Tate Britain, The Barbican, The New Art Exchange, and AIR Gallery. Her work has been the subject of documentaries by ARTE and VPRO, and her publications include the books “You Could Have Done This” (2015) and “Labour of Love” (2023). Maple has previously exhibited with The Untitled Space in exhibitions including “THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS,” “UPRISE 2025: The Art of Resistance,” “Art4Equality,” “BODY BEAUTIFUL,” and “EDEN” at SPRING/BREAK Art Show.
Meg Mosley is an award-winning artist whose practice spans photography, performance, and video. Her work frequently explores emotional and social landscapes through highly constructed visual narratives. In 2004, Mosley received a full scholarship to complete her Master’s degree at The Slade School of Fine Art. Her project “Megastar” (2012) examined the rise of social media and self-representation, while her film “(dis)content” (2022) explored the psychological effects of digital culture and the emotional experiences that unfold behind the glow of smartphones. Her photographic self-portrait series “semi-detached” (2024), which investigates the remnants of domestic life within an abandoned home, was longlisted for the 2025 Aesthetica Art Prize and will be exhibited at The New Art Gallery Walsall, Christie’s London, and York Art Gallery between 2025 and 2026. “Domestic Abyss” marks Mosley’s first exhibition with The Untitled Space.
Presented in celebration of Women’s History Month, “Domestic Abyss” highlights how contemporary artists continue to challenge inherited narratives surrounding gender and domestic life. Through layered symbolism, humor, and carefully constructed imagery, Maple and Mosley reveal the domestic sphere as a site of both tension and transformation.
