Running until the 28th of February 2025 in Martin Hall, Queer: Then & Now is an exhibition exploring how narratives within the LGBTQ+ community have changed through a diverse collection of artwork and artefacts contributed by students and staff.
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Art, History and Culture
Queer: Then & Now celebrates the evolution of queer narratives socially, politically and personally, and joins us for 2025’s LGBT+ History Month. Drawing together films, creative works, artefacts and talks, the exhibition spotlights queer experiences to reflect how narratives have changed in the LGBTQ+ community over time and creates a vibrant safe space for queer diversity on campus.
The exhibition brings attention to LGBTQ+ experiences, from queer love to experiences of queer identity in the private and public sphere, seeking to amplify marginalised voices. Ranging from exploring icons within queer history to deeply personal experiences, the exhibition is more than worth a visit this LGBT+ History Month.
From left to right, ‘Ode to Marsha’ by Dylan Walters, ‘Impressions from Healing’ by Gray Monroe, ‘Untitled Three’ by Jess Short and ‘Isabelle Twice, at Albert St’ by Lucy Barker.
Queer: Then & Now Exhibition guide, available in Martin Hall.
‘Lavender Affairs’ by Joanna Spyrou and Fowler
‘Lavender Affairs’ by Joanna Spyrou and Fowler.
Exploring the concept of Lavender marriages where typically gay men and lesbians marry for convenience to keep their queer identities private, Spyrou and Fowler’s body of work explores the implications of these marriages through a performative wedding ceremony.
Whilst the wedding celebrates queer identities, it also shines a light on queer anxieties post- the overturning of Roe V Wade in America, manifesting fears of a future where lavender marriages may have to return in contemporary Western society.
‘Lavender Affairs’ by Joanna Spyrou and Fowler.
‘Kabourtertjes’ and ‘Waage’ by Ruby Waage Townsend
‘Kabourtertjes’ and ‘Waage’ by Ruby Waage Townsend.
Based in Leicester, interdisciplinary artist Ruby Waage Townsend intertwines folklore with lived experiences to create her works which explore themes such as identity and trauma. ‘Kabourtertjes’ explores an escape from performative normalized identity through the rambunctious and non-conforming ‘lil fellas’, and ‘Waage’ explores what it means to delve into boundlessness and the unseen.
‘Perpetua and Felicity’ by Lorraine and Amerjit Young
‘Perpetua and Felicity’ by Lorraine and Amerjit Young.
Young & Young’s work offers a shrine to the adopted patron saints of same-sex marriage, Saints Perpetua and Felicity, as well as highlighting the clitoris as a symbol of reclamation for the many years that it was omitted from anatomical discourse.
The piece celebrates queer love and the resilience of queer bodies, inviting viewers to reflect on the continued criminalization of same-sex love across the globe, with homosexuality still criminalized in 64 countries.
A technicolour celebration of Queer experiences
Queer: Then & Now features many more pieces of incredible work commemorating queer identities and experiences.
Whether you are curious to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, to explore the political and personal implications of being queer in the contemporary world, or discover the personal experiences of queer artists, be sure to head over to Martin Hall by the 28th of February 2025!
Queer: Then & Now Exhibition panoramic shot.
‘(We Are All) On the Mountain’ by Kieren Gill. A cyanotype demonstrating non-queer participations in queerness, celebrating how shared activities such as rock-climbing can create a sense of belonging and community which values personal queerness.
‘Elizabeth Stride’ by Jack Smith. A drag look worn by British drag queen Elizabeth Stride in the first public Pride celebration in Beijing in March 2022 hosted by Beijing’s British Embassy, challenging difficulties in arranging queer-themed events due to surveillance and harassment.
All credit for pieces featured in this article goes to the artists. Please contact the exhibition organizer Lorraine Young at [email protected] for more information on any works featured.
Find more about each piece featured in the exhibition below!
