A world-first exhibition featuring artists who all share the same first name has gone on display in the Welsh borders.

The ‘Jess Collective’ brings together nine artists called Jess, most of whom are based in Herefordshire and the surrounding border counties, in a new show at RidgeBank gallery in Kington.

Gallery owner Caroline Allen said: “The work in the show includes painting, printmaking, sculpture and film making. By drawing upon the local landscape, flora, fauna and their family and friends, each of the artists reflects their own personalities and experiences, which in this context explores what it means to be a ‘Jess’.

“Our names are a fundamental part of our identity, they can influence the development of our personalities and self-concept. With the ‘Jess Collective’ we’re inviting viewers to consider how these meanings might also influence the development of creative practice.”

The exhibition runs until May 30 at RidgeBank contemporary art space on Kington High Street, open from Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 5pm.

Meet the ‘Jess Collective’:

Jess Allen is a Paris-based photographic artist who uses the lens as a 'third eye,' holding memories to reflect on the mind’s constructions and flaws.

Jess Davis moved to Kington in 2022 and can still remember her first trip up Hergest Ridge. A place of beauty, brutality, hope and loneliness, the ‘Ridge’ is the inspiration for a series of artworks.

Jess Dixon from Hay works predominantly in oil paint. Her figurative paintings are subtly abstracted, floating somewhere between dream and reality.

Jess Edwards lives in Bradnor where she is drawn to the quiet magic of the natural world, inspiring her to create intricate etymology art and detailed observations of mushrooms, skulls and foliage.

Jess Hinsley is a landscape artist based in Bannau Brycheiniog. Her work explores her love of nature and wild places. Mountains are where she feels most at home.

Jess Lowe from Brilley, will be showcasing a series of personal yet surreal acrylic paintings in an illustrative style. Reflecting her zest for life, a love of colour, friends, and the awe-inspiring place she feels lucky enough to call home, Jess Lowe aims to insight a smile with her art.

Jess MacKenzie has lived on the Welsh Hereford borders for over 30 years. Known for being director of About Face Theatre, she is now looking to develop her creative ambition in new ways. Jess Mackenzie will be exploring her love of textiles and religious art, showcasing sacred hearts and other icons at the exhibition.

Jess Watkins from Hay will present a selection of her recent screen prints, exploring themes of mythology and magic. Jess Watkins work weaves together recurring motifs - the female form, the moon, birds in flight, shrines, and the cyclical rhythms of nature - creating imagery that feels both grounded and otherworldly.

Jess Wood lives in Hereford, creating intuitive, symbolic paintings rooted in nature, healing, and transformation. Jess Wood uses art as an expressive tool, which after illness became an anchor for healing - a way of speaking, remembering, and reclaiming.