Leading figures from the worlds of law, art and activism gathered at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery in Ealing on Thursday (12 June 2025) night for a public discussion marking the final days of Nicole Farhi’s exhibition J’Accuse…! — a collection of sculpted portraits of people who have suffered miscarriages of justice.
The event featured Ms Farhi alongside lawyer and academic Professor Anthony Julius, filmmaker Olivia Lichtenstein, who moderated the discussion and Yvonne Swan, an Indigenous American campaigner whose own wrongful conviction features in the exhibition.
Reflecting on the nature of the portraits, Professor Julius said: “Ordinarily representational sculpture is for people who have achieved something… But these are people on whom distinction and a kind of celebrity status has been thrust.”
He added: “Nicole gives them their face back… but gives it back in a way which also registers the pain and the humiliation, the involuntary ignominy associated with the unjust conviction.”
Ms Farhi said the project was initially inspired by historical cases such as the Dreyfus Affair and the execution of Ethel Rosenberg, but had since expanded to include contemporary stories. Among them is Yvonne Swan, who spoke at the event via Zoom. When asked what justice meant to her, Mr Swan said: “Well, I certainly know what injustice means.”
The artist revealed the series is ongoing and recently added the portrait of Peter Sullivan, released in the UK after 38 years in prison. She said: “The series is unfortunately growing.”
J’Accuse…! runs until 15 June 2025.
