Exhibition: Facing the Planet by Tessa Coe & Jane Coyle
Exhibitions, Free, In Person
Thursday 30th July 10:00am – Monday 3rd August 2026 4:00pm
God's House Tower, Town Quay Road, Southampton, SO14 2NY
This pop-up exhibition will be on display in the Crawford Room at God’s House Tower for one weekend only, from Thursday 30th July – Monday 3rd August 2026. Admission is free.
Opening Hours:
- Thursday: 10:00–16:00
- Friday: 10:00–17:00
- Saturday: 10:00–17:00
- Sunday: 10:00–16:00
- Monday: 09:00–16:00
Artist Tessa Coe and writer Jane Coyle were at school together in South Wales. Tessa studied science and mathematics; Jane specialised in languages and literature. Their lives and career paths led in different directions. Tessa attained a PhD in physics and embarked on a career in science and industry; Jane graduated in French and English and joined the editorial team at the London publishing house of Faber & Faber.
Some years later, Tessa left her science roles but never lost her interest in science. She moved to the Hampshire village of Nursling on the River Test, where she has been an abstract painter for the last 25 years. Her subject matter is the natural world around her and the effects that human beings, and our changing climate, have upon it. Jane moved to Belfast and made a second home in Brittany. For decades, she has worked between the two, as an arts journalist, performing arts critic, and playwright.
During the past few years an idea has grown. The friends wanted to draw upon their separate ways of seeing our planet, to collaborate in a new way of storytelling. They have put the paintings to work in leading a visual and lyrical conversation around memory, place and changing times. The title Facing the Planet is a signpost to the urgent need for collective scrutiny and protection of our threatened natural environment.
Jane selected ten of Tessa’s paintings. Each one sparked a memory or a reflection on locations, literary references and personal experiences. Punctuated by references to the Celtic and Mediterranean worlds, they travel from the rural environment of childhood to the landscapes of Brittany and beyond.
Tessa’s mosaic-like paintings are inspired by the water meadows, the river and estuary around her home. Each image is accompanied by a short account of the journey towards a resolution of the piece, as the artist seeks to blend her creative vision with her distinctive scientific rationale.
Accessibility
The ground-floor bar and café at GHT have step-free access from Town Quay Road. For information on parking and travel, please visit our plan your visit page.
Do you have any access requirements? We are happy to discuss individual access needs wherever possible. Please email [email protected]
Quiet Hours & Spaces
Every Thursday morning from 10am – 12pm, lights will be dimmed and sound levels lowered. For the duration of this exhibition, the library will also be available as a quiet space. This space includes dimmed lighting, seating, quiet music, and water. You are welcome to use it at any time if you would like a break.
If you’d like to familiarise yourself with the venue before your visit, you can take a virtual tour of our spaces. You’ll also find a visual story introducing members of the GHT team.
Associated Events
Facing the Planet Celebration Event – Saturday 1st August, 2pm – 4pm
Join us as we celebrate this collaborative exhibition and hear from artist Tessa and writer Jane, who will each talk about the work and present a reading of one of the prose poems. Book your free ticket here
GHT Summer Art Market – Alongside the exhibition, God’s House Tower will host its first Summer Art Market,where independent artists will be selling prints. Visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase paintings from the Facing the Planet exhibition.
The market takes place on:
- Saturday 1st August, 10am – 5pm
- Sunday 2nd August, 10am – 4pm