Delve into the work of over 40 contemporary artists from across the gender spectrum.



Explore gender stereotypes, self-representation and shapeshifting through fashion in artworks made in the last ten years in a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography and video.   

Challenge your ideas around race, class, objectification, pleasure or desire. Discover strategies of resilience, empowerment, kinship and community building.   

Contested Bodies understands that gender is socially constructed and performed. It is not an innate aspect of someone’s identity. The exhibition attempts to create a space where each artist has the freedom and power to perform gender in a way that feels right to them. The show also aims to drop gender, sexual and racial hierarchies altogether in order to recognise every person’s humanity.    

All the artworks in the exhibition are from the Marcelle Joseph and GIRLPOWER Collections and the show is co-curated by independent curator and collector Marcelle Joseph and Dr Laura Claveria, Exhibitions Curator at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery. Participating artists include Jonathan Baldock, Jesse Darling, Martine Gutierrez, Sin Wai Kin, Jala Wahid, Alberta Whittle, Gray Wielebinski and Zadie Xa.   

The University of Leeds has also commissioned a new large-scale textile artwork for Parkinson Court from Leeds-based artist and alumnus Tiegan Handley.  

The exhibition is accompanied by a supporting programme of events and a catalogue. 

Complete list of artists: Larry Achiampong, Rebecca Ackroyd, Nel Aerts, Saelia Aparicio, Jonathan Baldock, Boris Camaca, Eileen Cooper, Leo Costelloe, Coco Crampton, Jesse Darling, Maryam Eisler, Kira Freije, Penny Goring, Martine Gutierrez, Neil Haas, Lisa-Marie Harris, Sam Keelan, Paul Kindersley, Jakob Lena Knebl, Sandra Lane, Jessie Makinson, Richard Malone, Alexi Marshall, Lindsey Mendick, Ad Minoliti, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Rose Nestler, Sola Olulode, Rithika Pandey, Anna Perach, Amber Pinkerton, Paloma Proudfoot, Zayn Qahtani, Agnes Questionmark, Alicia Reyes McNamara, Devlin Shea, Sin Wai Kin, Tenant of Culture, Jala Wahid, Alberta Whittle, Gray Wielebinski, Caroline Wong and Zadie Xa.