Invisible Portraits

Invisible Portraits, Southampton City Art Gallery (30 September 2022-14 January 2023), highlighted the voices of the LGBTIQ+ community through a series of paintings and film. It celebrated diversity, bravery and forgotten figures, making LGBTIQ+ history visible.

Ash chose works from the city’s collection to display alongside paintings she created in response to the lives and stories of the featured artists. She also celebrated activists, artists, and friends who have touched her and brought about change.

Created between 2020-22 as part of a community project, the exhibition included more than 500 portraits of inspiring LGBTIQ+ people. Each of the canvases tells a unique story which provokes contemplation, celebrates role models, and reinforces the message that LGBTIQ+ progress is a collective effort.