RHODES Project Room presents Picture Show, the UK debut solo exhibition by emerging American artist Madison Skriver. Drawing on cinematic nostalgia and archetypal femininity, Picture Show explores the myths and contradictions embedded in cultural memory.

Skriver’s practice is defined by surreal imagery, saturated colour palettes and layered references to the everyday. Employing vivid colours and a distinctive blend of flat, graphic elements with stylistic realism, Skriver creates works that evoke a sense of timeless mysticism. Symbolism, nostalgia and cinematic memory converge, transforming each piece into a portal into the surreal. Incorporating Americana iconography and familiar branding, her works subtly question the ideals and illusions of the so-called “American Dream.”

Through layered collages of film stills and feminine imagery, Skriver constructs dreamlike scenes that reference the glamour of old Hollywood while probing its darker undercurrents. Her subjects embody the spectacle of performance, yet their ambiguous expressions reveal moments of unease and vulnerability.

These works place the viewer in a state of disquiet; we recognise the scenes, we understand what we believe is happening, yet something feels subtly askew. A curve of a lip or the crop of a face encourages us to look closer and question whether all is truly as it seems. There is a tension beneath this staged perfection.