Image by Rachel Jones.
Love Reclaimed is an exhibition celebrating queer love, identity, and artistic expression, exploring the intersections of love and queerness, forming part of the UK Pride programme of events as Portsmouth warms up to host UK Pride next month.
35 local LGBTQIA+ artists are taking part, including Jez Frank, Rachel Jones and Joy McKay from Southampton. In Common spoke to them and got an exclusive preview to their work.
Jez Franck told In Common “I created this piece in the days following the Supreme Court ruling, as an act of resistance and remembrance. The spiral within the trans symbol represents continuity, resilience, and our deep-rooted presence throughout history. The surrounding words — “We have always been here. We are not going anywhere.” — are a declaration of survival and belonging in the face of erasure and injustice. Painted in defiance, this artwork is a reminder that trans people are ancient, sacred, and here to stay”.
Rachel Jones spoke about her work “Healing Her”. “ My work is a spray-painted portrait of a child, created as a four layer stencil. Made for this Pride exhibition, the work explores the powerful journey of reconnecting with and healing the inner child. It’s a celebration of authenticity, resilience, and the joy of becoming who you truly are. Through bold lines and layered colour, “Healing Her” invites viewers to honour their past selves and embrace the beauty of growth and self-acceptance”.
Joy McKay has submitted ‘Should I?’, a painted portrait with accompanying digital content. They explained “this work explores the excitement of a first kiss, but the added fears often experienced by the queer community. The painting shows you what my eyes could see and QR code shows you the thoughts that were going through my head during a recent experience.”
Love Reclaimed launches tonight, the 16th May, at The Corner Collective (instagram.com/the.corner.collective ) in Southsea and runs over the weekend.
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