Konkursas by Francesca Allen at SERCHIA

Opening on 2 May 2026 in celebration of our 40th exhibition, SERCHIA is honoured to present, 'Konkursas' a solo exhibition by Francesca Allen. 'Konkursas' depicts participants in Lithuania’s Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukės annual competition for the world’s longest hair. SERCHIA is honoured to welcome Francesca Allen and to share her latest work and publication, Konkursas. Join us for the opening reception in the company of the artist on Saturday 02 May from 14.00 - 17.00.

The exhibition will be on view by appointment through 05 July 2026. Visit the gallery website to book your visit. We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery soon.

Exhibition Statement
Francesca Allen’s Konkursas depicts participants in Lithuania’s Konkursas Pasaulio Ilgaplaukės annual competition for the world’s longest hair. Here hundreds of girls and women with thousands of feet of hair walk the runway and have their lovingly groomed hair measured by gloved judges, before shaking it in a ceremonial finale. Allen’s fascination with ritual and coming-of-age sparked her interest in the contest, one which blends pageantry with folklore and allows the artist to deepen her thoughts on hair within femininity: “Hair influences how we are perceived by others, how professional we appear, our identity, our religion and culture. It plays a huge role in the enactment of self and also our discrimination against others.” The resulting photographs—haunting, funny, slightly surreal—explore the dichotomy between modernity and tradition, obsession and aspiration, and ideas of girl and womanhood.


About Francesca
Francesca Allen is a London-based photographer and director whose work explores the nature of intimate relationships, female friendships and personal connections, often documenting those closest to her with sensitivity and emotional depth. Her projects sit at the intersection of editorial, portraiture and personal narrative, capturing girlhood, youth and identity through a distinctly candid and truthful lens. Allen’s images have been commissioned by leading publications and clients including British Vogue, i-D, Dazed, British Journal of Photography, Chloé, Stella Mccartney and Levi’s, among others. Her photographic books include Aya (2018), I’d Like to Get to Know You (2022), Plaukai (2025) and Konkursas (2025), continuing her intimate visual storytelling. Allen’s work has been exhibited internationally across major galleries and festivals.

Photography by Francesca Allen @francesca_allen_
Curated by Christine Serchia @chreees