Preview: Julia Francese's new exhibition

A painter living a double life exhibits her artistic flair next week. Julia Francese, a London policewoman, questions how society judges the value of art, in her culturally poignant collection.

Francese, a police officer in Southwark, has consciously remained under the radar, working unrepresented and choosing to paint privately.

For the first time Francese has assembled around 50 oil paintings and lino prints which chart her life, which began on a dairy farm in rural Australia. Her collection of previously unseen works explores the complexity of human emotions, from gentleness to aggression, from indulgence to restraint.

The Person to Person exhibition is on display at Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark Street, London from 16 to 25 August. For more information, visit www.meniergallery.co.uk