coming of age

exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, London
(26 mar. – 29 nov., 2026

niceaunties is featured in The Coming of Age at the Wellcome Collection, London, a major exhibition exploring experiences and perceptions of ageing, from adolescence to later life, through more than 120 artworks and objects spanning art, science, and popular culture. The exhibition runs from 26 March to 29 November 2026, with free admission.

Two bodies of work are presented across dedicated walls. The first features selected portraits from 13 Aunties, Mirror into Auntieverse (2025), AI-generated black-and-white portraits of fictionalised aunties, each conveying a different quality of the auntie archetype: fierce love, utter tenacity, and withering observation. Pictured with spirit animals that embody these traits, the portraits explore ageing, visibility, and empathy with affection and humour, affirming the vital role aunties play in extended family and community networks. A postcard pack of six portraits from the series is available at the Wellcome Collection shop, with all proceeds donated to the Wellcome Trust.

The second wall presents a rotating selection of images from Auntiesocial (2023), a chapter of the Auntieverse in which aunties dance, party, and explore imagined futures together. Often sidelined in everyday life, here they become central figures navigating the absurdities of ageing, labour, and environment, a transitional generation caught between the expectations placed upon them and their own desires.

The Coming of Age features artists including John Coplans, Serena Korda, Suzanne Lacy, Anna Maria Maiolino, Rory Pilgrim, and Paula Rego.

Gallery 1, Level 0,
Wellcome Collection,
183 Euston Road, London.

People viewing an art display at a museum, with a vivid illustration of a smiling lion-headed subway train and a group of laughing elderly women on a blue sky background.
Young man in a wheelchair looking at a digital display of a photograph of elderly people and a lion mascot on a bus.
Two people observing framed photographs and information plaques in an art exhibit, with a screen displaying a colorful image in the background.
A woman looks at framed photos and art in a museum exhibit, with a large yellow wall holding a variety of vintage black-and-white portraits and a digital screen displaying facial images.
Person wearing a dark jacket and light-colored pants standing in front of an interactive digital screen displaying an image of two people in traditional clothing, with colorful powder or paint on their faces, at an exhibition or museum.
A display of photographs on a beige wall, including black-and-white portraits of a woman with elaborate hair and costumes, four smaller portraits of children, and other framed images.
Packaging of a pack of 6 postcards features a black and white photo of an Asian woman holding a tortoise and a leaf, with text reading 'welcome collection,' 'niceaunties,' and 'pack of 6 postcards'.
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