“Through a diverse collection of art, artefacts, personal stories and new commissions, Gender Stories offers a space for reflection on the fluidity of gender and the evolving understanding of self-expression.
Featuring works by David Hockney, Catherine Opie, Grayson Perry, Rene Matić, Zanele Muholi and Del LaGrace Volcano, this ground-breaking exhibition challenges traditional binary narratives and explores how gender intersects with sex, identity, and sexuality across cultures and history.
Exclusively for Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, trans artist and educator Mister Samo has created large murals in the museum front hall.“
As well as the curated items included in the exhibition itself, the narrative accompanying each exhibit posed many important questions to the viewer. Some we captured are shared here below:
Has it ever felt unrealistic or difficult to live up to an idealised body image?
Is masculinity about taking up space, physical strength and aggression?
We’re all beautiful, but why can it feel like we’re not?
Who defines feminine sensuality and ideal body image?
Is it okay to assume the sexuality of historical people without evidence?
What (other) assumptions about the roles of men and women in the past might be wrong?
What privileges and obstacles do gender and other aspects of your identity bring?
Who uses makeup and has this always been the same?
Who gets to define what is natural?
Why are discussions of natural and unnatural behaviour so fraught with meaning?
How helpful is it to use nature as a guide for how we should be live?
What would a world without gender roles look like in the future?
What if gender roles were dead?
What visual clues do we use to decide a child’s gender? Why do we need to know?
What does a ‘normal’ family look like?
Who is shaping international business and politics? Who runs the world?
How can the overlap of money, gender, and sexuality change people’s preferences and priorities?
Where might the next hundred years take us?
How might the future change if we shifted the value placed on certain genders?
Gender Stories is at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery until 12 October 2025, on a “pay what you can” basis (suggested donation £6 per person). Click here for more details.
