Clifford Chance

Oil & pastel on linen 

Fairy Conclave (2021) encapsulates this idea in its ephemeral, translucent aurora of light blue and purple wisps that hover above a grassy field like a luminous halo. This iridescent sphere is the titular fairy circle which conceals a community of fairies and sprites from the naked eye, and viewers are enticed to cross this boundary into a new threshold brimming with possibility. The circle encourages viewers to access a different set of eyes and tap into their creative prowess to glimpse scintillating sights that are not part of our mundane reality.

Oil, acrylic, cardstock, magnets on canvas

I Hope the Grass is Greener, Whichever Path You May Choose (2021) makes use of the popular Pandora's Box image to reflect upon subjects of growth, transformation, and the freedom to choose our own paths. A velvet chest opens to reveal increasingly smaller chests like a Matryoshka doll, with each chest being surrounded by patches of verdant overgrowth, expressing a never-ending series of choices throughout life and a yearning for greener pastures. Gilded butterflies are scattered across the canvas, presumably fluttering out from the opened chests, acting as charming symbols of metamorphosis and liberation.

Oil on canvas

Follow The White Rabbit (2020) is about following an unlikely clue, an innocuous, unbelievable (but also, frankly a bit ridiculous) sign, to find oneself in the midst of more or less extraordinary, marvellous, amazing circumstances that challenge one's fundamental beliefs, expand one's horizons &/or perception of realities, transform one's perspective, and change one's life. Sometimes you have to lose yourself in order to find yourself in the right place. As a queer person recovering from trauma and addiction, I'm so grateful for the circles and rooms that has saved me, loved me and changed me.

This work reimagines Simeon Solomon's work titled "Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene". Arrested for homosexual offences, Solomon was shunned even by those who encouraged him to explore same-sex desire in his art. It is a reminder that love is love, and that we should support one another without hate or discrimination.

This work depicts a quiet moment cherished by two men by being together. The figures were digitally manipulated from two different paintings by Henry Scott Tuke; "Boy on the beach" and "Green and Gold".

This work depicts two women having a serious moment together at a bar. They could be lovers discussing their future together or they could be colleagues expressing their emotions after a long day at work. The figures were digitally manipulated from two different paintings by John William Godward; "The Letter. A Classical Maiden" and "A Dilettante".

Careless whispers is a drawing within a series where I re-think the concept of the closet as a glass box in contemporary times. Employing drawing and rendering of various plants, I also think of queer ecology, in which we think about the relations one has with nature. 

Careless whistles is a drawing within a series where I re-think the concept of the closet as a glass box in contemporary times. Employing drawing and rendering of various plants, I also think of queer ecology, in which we think about the relations one has with nature.

Modelled after various natural forms and re-fashioned in different ways, Unholy Object #3 came about as thinking about natural and unnatural forms. The addition of an earring comes from queer codes where gay men use in the past to identify themselves.

Clifford Chance's Arcus Pride Art initiative is designed to challenge perceptions and provoke thought and conversation through works of art exploring themes including relationships, sexuality, gender identity and expression and the human body. 

We encourage you to take some time to explore these works. Please enjoy them and be empowered.

Explore some of our previous exhibitions to see how Arcus Pride Art has evolved in recent years.