Past Exhibition
Children of Albion
Ben Edge

In November 2025, Fitzrovia Chapel presented Children of Albion, a powerful exhibition by London based British artist Ben Edge (b.1985). Bringing together painting, sculpture and film, the exhibition continued Edge’s deep exploration of British folklore and mythology, drawing on ancient stories and land rooted rituals to reflect on their enduring relevance in a modern world shaped by disconnection.

DATE SHOWN

6 November 2025 – 26 November 2025

Edge captures what he calls a “Folk Renaissance,” reflecting a rising desire to reclaim ancestral roots and reconnect with nature. But Children of Albion is no exercise in nostalgia. Instead, it’s a forward-looking vision, an invitation to re-enchant our relationship with the land and reimagine a shared cultural identity that bridges past, present, and future.

Edge’s works conjure ancient sites and the mythologies that surround them, where demons, superstitions, and timeless tales take shape within today’s fragmented world. Through these works, Edge blends tradition with the tensions of modern life – grappling with environmental collapse, identity crises, and a collective yearning for meaning.

“As contemporary Britons, I believe we’re all part of this evolving story,” Edge says. “It transcends time and heritage, forming a diverse, interconnected whole. Since the pandemic, I’ve seen a renewed fascination, especially among younger generations, with folk traditions and the spiritual power of the land.”

At the heart of the exhibition is Edge’s most ambitious painting to date: Children of Albion, 2025. Serving as a dramatic altarpiece in the Chapel, it offers a sweeping visual history of Britain, from prehistory to the present. Inspired by the fantastical complexity of Hieronymus Bosch, it explores the unravelling of our bond with nature while confronting Britain’s colonial legacy. Through themes of migration and transformation, Edge reclaims Britain as a “mongrel nation” – a place shaped by waves of cultural exchange and constant evolution.
From Summer Solstice celebrations in Milton Keynes to ritual scenes inspired by the folk song John Barleycorn, Edge’s works teem with hybrid figures – part man, part animal, part plant – and spectral presences that exist beyond time. In an increasingly urban world, these works serve to remind us that we are not separate from nature, but part of it – deeply and inextricably woven into its fabric.

Exhibition programme:

ABOUT

Ben Edge (b. 1985, Croydon) is a North London–based artist whose work explores folklore, identity, and the cultural landscape of Britain. Working across painting, film, and music, he draws on oral storytelling traditions, personal history, and the natural world to reimagine the lives of overlooked figures and everyday narratives.

Ben has exhibited widely, including Children of Albion at Fitzrovia Chapel (2025) and Ritual Britain in collaboration with the Museum of British Folklore. He has also curated Common Ground at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, and his work has been acquired by the London Museum. Alongside visual art, he releases music exploring folk traditions and has published his debut book, Folklore Rising (2024).

What’s On At The Chapel