LGBTQ History Month Art Exhibition, reviewed by Joseph Healy.
19 Feb 2026
I visited this really revealing queer art exhibition in Brixton, not knowing what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Thirty-five LGBTQ artists are involved in an exhibition curated by one of them, Xavier White. Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few trans themes, including a diary by a trans woman detailing her voyage towards transition with drawings, which visitors are asked to leaf through. It was quite emotional as you would expect.
There is also an image of “erasers” in various shapes and sizes, used in schools, in a glass case, all in colours that form the trans flag. I was drawn to this because it seemed both imaginative and feisty, representing the erasure of trans themes and trans lives from education.
There was also a large painting of two naked women, smiling and embracing, while a tornado raged in the background. This was meant to illustrate the bravery and fortitude of many gay women who continue to display joy and happiness while dealing with real and ongoing problems in the background.
I was really drawn to Xavier White’s work on masculinity and marginalisation. His figure of a homeless young man, draped in rainbow and trans flags and fitted with a machine that sounds like breathing, is so lifelike that one of the gallery visitors asked me if I had given him money!
This represents the often forgotten fact that a huge percentage of queer youth are homeless because of rejection by their families and homophobia.
Here are some of Xavier White’s comments on the exhibition:
Right now, we need art to tell the stories we feel are missed; to help us understand the complexity of the world around us.
Under Our Skin aims to bring LGBTQ+ histories, both past and recent, to the surface. One work critiquing both historical wrongs and current policy is Marty Davies’ Protect the Children.
All the art within this exhibition is critiquing culture, helping to drive the movement forward. I’ve curated the exhibition with 35 artists, and over 50 artworks from emerging artists to the likes of Sunil Gupta, who needs no introduction.
Thanks to the generosity of Lambeth Libraries for donating the gallery space, I’ve been able to think very carefully about the power of publicly accessible art and the privilege of being within a busy community space, enabling Under Our Skin to be seen by more than just a queer audience.
If we’re going to see social progress, these stories need to be seen by all. Because this isn’t celebratory art, it’s politically charged art. My sculpture, 24%, which is a breathing person sheltering under a pride flag blanket, has already had security called on it – and I’m pleased to hear that.
According to the charity, akt, 24% of homeless youth are LGBTQ+, and 77% cite parental rejection as the reason for their situation. We cannot let this problem continue, so if my sculpture has caused people alarm, it’s done its job: it’s humanised a statistic and made it real for the audience.
The exhibition covers so many topics: coming out and mental health, to Olympia Alsawi’s vibrant painting of Kai-Isaiah Jamal l, the first trans model for Louis Vuitton. Ultimately the exhibition is summed up by Roxanna Halls’ spectacular painting, Laughing While Braving, which is a true depiction of persistence, community, and joy.
I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough; it is challenging, amusing, and life-affirming. See it before it closes at Brixton Library at the end of the month.
