Queer / LGBTQ+ Artists
Sullivan Alenezi
Sophie Keith
Nora Nadvegi
11/12/23 - 13/01/24
Sullivan Alenezi
Sullivan Alenezi is an illustrator and graphic designer from Kuwait now based in the North East of England. Sullivan believes firmly in the power of art as a medium to incite change and is dedicated to fighting for the causes he believes in through his designs.
Nora Nadvegi
Originally from Croatia, Nora Nadvegi has called Sunderland her home for the past 8 years. Due to the lack of opportunities to study Animation in Croatia, Nora took a leap of faith and moved to the UK to pursue an education. Since graduating Nora has been working as an animator and illustrator as well as working with local universities to deliver workshops. Despite their work being primarily digital, Nora has been immersing themselves back into traditional media. They have been experimenting with a range of media, but most prominently acrylic paint and paint markers, oil pastels, pencils and graphite.
Nora's work is an eclectic mix of vibrant colours and dynamic shapes. Coming from animation, the characters they portray in their work are bursting with personality and liveliness. It's a little bit surrealist, a little bit kidcore and they hope that its playfulness will bring joy to anyone experiencing it.
Sophie Keith
Sophie is an artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne who has recently finished an alternative learning programme at The Newbridge Project; “Collective Studio”. Their art practice currently concerns itself with the notion of utopias, and works with the idea of creating abstract, utopic non-spaces within the paintings - the subject of these works are based on shapes within photographs that they have been taken, in which reality has become abstracted. By using several references to create one painting, Sophie explores the notion that these images are built up from numerous sites, creating multiple worlds in a singular image. Sites which are a representation of our world, but which cannot exist within reality. Sophie's work also explores identity, and responds to the immediacy of their environment - built through gestures and rhythms, exploring layers and textures and how the application of paint can be disrupted. Although a lot of the shapes in my paintings are based on objects in photographs, the painting method relies heavily on working with chance and intuition. They are attempting to create impossible worlds, inspired by their personal queer experience, and build a language within the pieces that are represented by hidden and revealed layers.Watercolor and pencil on paper‘The Three Sparrows and the Fallen Moon’ is an illustrated story exploring themes of escapism, the search for belonging, and the power of kindness. It revolves around the journey of the lost moon that is eventually found.
