Celebrating 'Other'

Celebrating 'Other'

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Beginning in August, for Manchester's annual pride celebrations, we completed our first outdoor exhibition in collaboration with Spinningfields, titled 'OTHER'. This exhibition was both a celebration of Manchester's queer community, and an exploration into the multifarious expression of queer identities. We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came along to the exhibition, visited the gallery, or got involved in any way. A special thanks to Abigail, Gary, and Valena, who were instrumental in helping the exhibition to come into fruition.

 

What does it mean to be ‘OTHER’?

Queer communities in and around Manchester have experienced massive change in the way that their identities are accepted or tolerated in mainstream society, and yet there remains an inherent assumption of ‘difference’ about queer people. While heterosexual relationships and cisgendered individuals are assumed as ‘normal’, LGBT+ individuals and relationships are ‘OTHER’.

 

 

Intended as a celebration of the art produced by queer artists from the Manchester area, ‘OTHER’ demonstrates the exceptional diversity of queer expression, throwing into question both the designation of a monolithic  ‘otherness’, and of a discernible ‘normal’: the spectral nature of queer identities reveals the inherently unique nature of all humans.

 

 

The Artists

 

Evita Ziemele

Evita Ziemele is a Manchester-based artist who works primarily with the oil medium and explores abstractions of the human body, particularly focusing on depicting femininity through the female gaze.


 

Asche Escher

Asche, a Photographer and Image Maker, is renowned for their work in fashion photography and performance art. Blending artistic vision and social commentary, Asche’s creations transcend traditional boundaries, embodying the essence of contemporary art.

 

Jez Dolan

Jez Dolan is an artist living and working in Manchester. His practice underlines the intersections between queerness, sexuality, identity and memory. He works across multiple platforms including drawing, performance, printmaking and most recently painting.

 

 

Florence Burns

Florence Burns is a freelance artist from Manchester, UK. They specialise in digital illustration, and branch out into moving image and graphic design. Florence focuses on stories which centre queer and disabled peoples, drawing from their personal experiences

 

Smart Barnett

Smart Barnett is a Manchester-based queer artist whose work sits at the intersection of textiles and digital art. Through utilising embroidery Smart aims to create pieces that are bold and provocative, yet personal and intimate in their dimensions.

 


 

Jen Amelia Veitch

Jen Amelia Veitch is a photographer whose work was previously included in 'Queer Visions', an immersive event celebrating Manchester's queer scene through photography, poetry, and music. Jen Amelia Veitch's work captures the essence of Manchester's queer club culture and offers an electrifying glimpse into the hearts of the queer community.

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came along and made this exhibition something incredible to remember!