Emma Talbot presents her largest UK exhibition to date, *How We Learn to Love*, at Compton Verney, featuring over 20 new and recent works including silk paintings, fabric sculptures, animations, and drawings. The exhibition explores the human experience from birth to death, with recurring motifs such as a faceless female protagonist, references to Greek tragedy, and themes of grief and love. Talbot, who splits her time between London and Italy, also has concurrent solo shows at Copenhagen Contemporary and Centraal Museum Utrecht.
This exhibition matters because it consolidates Talbot's distinctive practice of blending personal narrative with universal themes, using silk painting and animation to address profound philosophical and emotional content. By connecting ancient myths, contemporary politics, and ecological principles like permaculture, Talbot offers a timely meditation on life, death, and resilience. The show's scale and simultaneous international presentations underscore her growing prominence in the contemporary art world.