Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) is proud to announce Death and the maiden, a captivating collaborative exhibition by celebrated fantasy artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith and acclaimed necrosurrealist David Van Gough opening June 27, 2026, in Gallery 2.

Bringing together two of the most distinctive voices working within contemporary fantasy and dark surrealism, Death and the Maiden marks a significant evolution of an ongoing creative partnership that has captivated audiences through its exploration of mortality, transformation, mythology, and the enduring power of archetypal storytelling. These works are inspired by the artists' acclaimed graphic novella of the same name and the centuries-old artistic motifs that have appeared throughout European painting, literature, and music. The exhibition unfolds as a visual meditation on the mysteries that lie beyond the veil and offers a contemporary reexamination of one of humanity's most enduring subjects: our relationship with death.

While their artistic approaches differ, Becket-Griffith and Van Gough share a fascination with the unseen, the symbolic, and the deeply human questions surrounding life, death, and what may exist between. In Death and the Maiden, the familiar archetype of the maiden is reimagined—not as a passive muse or fragile figure, but as a powerful force unto herself. She appears throughout the exhibition as a witness, guide, and protagonist: knowing, resilient, and transformed through her encounters with mortality. Death, meanwhile, emerges not merely as an ending, but as a shape-shifting presence —at times compassionate, intimate, and strangely beautiful; in other moments, inevitable and unsettling.

Together, the artists create a richly layered visual dialogue that moves seamlessly between gothic elegance, romantic symbolism, and dreamlike surrealism. Their works inhabit liminal spaces where light and shadow coexist, beauty and melancholy intertwine, and boundaries between life and afterlife become fluid and porous. The exhibition also reflects a broader artistic tradition that has captivated creators for centuries.

The motif of Death and the maiden has appeared throughout European art, literature, and music as a symbolic confrontation between youth and mortality. Becket-Griffith and Van Gough offer a contemporary reinterpretation—one that emphasizes empowerment, self-awareness, and transformation rather than fear alone. At a cultural moment increasingly defined by uncertainty, Death and the maiden offers not merely an examination of mortality, but a meditation on resilience, transformation, and the enduring power of imagination. Rather than presenting death as something to be feared, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate it as part of a larger cycle—one intertwined with growth, memory, wonder, and renewal. The result is a hauntingly beautiful collection that lingers long after viewing, encouraging reflection on the delicate balance between darkness and light that defines the human experience.