North-east artist Lizzie Rowe died unexpectedly in December 2023, but a celebration of her life and work is coming to the Abject Gallery in Sunderland this November.

I first became aware of Lizzie Rowe’s work back in 2009 when she held an exhibition at The Biscuit Factory. A transgender woman, the show was extraordinary, detailing in meticulous detail varying aspects of her self-definition. I was enraptured by her work. The pieces had a rare delicateness about them that turned domestic settings into reverential spaces; and her belongings – the dresses and other feminine paraphernalia  – thrummed with a glowing sense of something: maybe spirituality. Over 100 of her paintings will be shown at the Abject Gallery in Sunderland this November and December, paintings drawn from a career that saw Rowe achieve national recognition. The show is due to close on 6 December, but on 7 December some of her paintings will be up for public auction. RM

Lizzie Rowe: Life and Works, 23 November-6 December (preview: Friday 22 November, 6-8pm; auction at the gallery on Friday 6 December), Abject Gallery, Sunderland, open: Tues-Sat, 12pm-4pm, breezecreatives.com/abject-gallery