Bianca Raffaella on BBC World Service’s In the Studio: Art, Access, and New Ways of Seeing
Bianca Raffaella on BBC World Service’s In the Studio: Art, Access, and New Ways of Seeing
Women in Art Prize winner Bianca Raffaella was featured on BBC World Service’s In the Studio, in an in-depth audio documentary produced by Sahar Zand, bringing international attention to her tactile painting practice and to wider conversations around access, disability and contemporary art. The interview places her work and ideas at the centre of public cultural discourse, highlighting how lived experience can reshape the way art is made, encountered, and understood.
Bianca Raffaella on BBC World Service’s In the Studio: Art, Access, and New Ways of Seeing
Thursday 22 January 2026
Women in Art Prize winner Bianca Raffaella was featured on BBC World Service’s In the Studio, in an in-depth audio documentary produced by Sahar Zand, bringing international attention to her tactile painting practice and to wider conversations around access, disability and contemporary art. The interview places her work and ideas at the centre of public cultural discourse, highlighting how lived experience can reshape the way art is made, encountered, and understood.
A National Conversation About Access and Art
In the interview above, Bianca Raffaella speaks about how touch, memory, and lived experience shape her approach to painting. As a registered blind artist, her work challenges long-held assumptions about visual art, resisting the idea that sight must be its primary mode of engagement.
Raffaella’s practice is often described as tactile painting — an approach that prioritises surface, texture, atmosphere, and emotional resonance. Rather than compensating for vision loss, her work embraces alternative ways of perceiving, inviting audiences to slow down and engage with art through heightened attention and presence.
“Art does not begin with sight, but with attention.”
This ethos sits at the heart of her work and underpins her contribution to broader conversations about accessibility in the arts.
The 8th Women in Art Prize Winner 2025
Bianca Raffaella, Just out of Reach – Closest, 2025, Monoprint, 71 x 50.5 cm, (c) The Artist, Courtesy of Flowers Gallery
The Women in Art Prize CIC, Overall Prize Winner of 2025 – The Art Academy Exhibition Prize
The themes explored in the BBC Radio 4 interview reflect why Bianca Raffaella was recognised as a Women in Art Prize winner and we are having an exhibition at The Art Academy showcasing artworks from Bianca, The prize celebrates artists whose practices combine artistic rigour with cultural impact, and whose work expands representation within the contemporary art world.
Raffaella’s work demonstrates that accessibility is not a limitation or an add-on, but a generative force — one capable of reshaping institutions, exhibitions, and audience engagement. Her recognition by the Women in Art Prize acknowledges both the strength of her artistic practice and her role in advancing more inclusive cultural frameworks.
Education and Early Milestones
Born in London in 1992, Bianca Raffaella became the first registered blind student to graduate from Kingston University with a First Class degree in the visual arts. This milestone marked the beginning of a career defined by both artistic excellence and institutional change.
Her paintings have been described by The Guardian as “ethereally beautiful,” noted for their soft colours, dusty shadows, and spacious compositions that evoke themes of memory, fragility, and perception.
In 2023, Raffaella was personally selected by Tracey Emin for the inaugural Tracey Emin Artist Residency at TKE Studios, Margate. The residency culminated in the exhibitions TEARS and TEARS: The Final Show, positioning her as a key voice within a new generation of British artists.
In November 2024, Flowers Gallery announced representation of Bianca Raffaella, alongside her first major solo exhibition, Faint Memories, which opened at the gallery’s Cork Street space in February 2025. She has also been named one of Harper’s Bazaar’s Three To Watch, recognising her as a leading emerging figure in the British art scene.
Exhibitions Rooted in Accessibility
Accessibility is not an afterthought within Raffaella’s exhibitions — it is integral to their conception. Her solo exhibition Hushed Impressions at Orleans House Gallery was designed as a multi-sensory experience, foregrounding access while enriching engagement for all visitors.
Her work has also featured in major group exhibitions including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Bush House in collaboration with King’s College London, and Flowers Gallery’s Small is Beautiful, reflecting her sustained commitment to inclusive artistic practice across institutional contexts.
Beyond the Gallery
Alongside her studio practice, Raffaella is an invited lecturer and collaborator at the Institut Français de la Mode, and has undertaken commissioned work with King’s College London in collaboration with Shape Arts and AccessArt.
She has appeared on Channel 4’s The Unique Boutique and Sky Arts’ Art Matters, presented by Melvyn Bragg. Across broadcast, academic, and institutional platforms, she continues to advocate for a broader understanding of access — not as accommodation, but as innovation.
Why Bianca Raffaella’s BBC World Service In the Studio Interview Matters
Bianca Raffaella’s feature on BBC World Service’s In the Studio marks a significant cultural moment — reflecting a shift towards recognising disabled women artists as authoritative voices shaping contemporary culture.
Her interview offers a powerful reminder that when access is centred, artistic practice expands. In bringing her work to a national audience, BBC Radio 4 has helped amplify a vision of art that is more inclusive, more attentive, and ultimately more human.
The exhibition Bianca Raffaella: The Women In Art Prize Exhibition will open at The Art Academy in London in late February 2026, marking Raffaella’s award as the Overall Winner of the 2025 Women in Art Prize, presented in September 2025 in London.
Artist Voices
What Artists Say
Hear from the talented artists who have been part of the Women in Art Prize community
"As the Woman in Art Prize exhibition comes to a close, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to both of WIAP. It has been an unforgettable experience to take part, and I truly appreciate all the effort and care you put into organizing this meaningful event. WIAP have provided artists with a professional yet welcoming platform to share their work. During the exhibition, I not only had the chance to connect with visitors but also gained great inspiration from fellow artists. These experiences have given me fresh perspectives and renewed motivation in my practice."
