Cheer Up Luv x Bee Illustrates: HYSTERICAL

About

After it’s successful debut in 2022, the charity group exhibition is back to celebrate the work of marginalised people who use their creative practice as a form of protest.

Meet the curators: Eliza Hatch (She/Her) is a photographer, activist, curator, speaker and founder of Cheer Up Luv, a photo series and platform dedicated to retelling stories of sexual harassment. Bee Illustrates (They/Them) is a queer, non-binary, illustrator and curator who has been recently longlisted for the World Illustration Awards. They use their creative practice to educate and inform on a range of topics including feminism, mental health and queerness.

Hysterical: A Celebration of Subversive Art will bring together a group of interdisciplinary artists who identify as women or marginalised genders at Bermondsey Project Space Gallery in March 2023.

Exhibiting artists include; Ciara Mohan, Maggie Williams, Aashfaria Anwar (She/Her), Abby Richard (She/Her), Simone Yasmin (She/Her), Frannie Wise (She/Her), Salt & Sister Studio (Halah El-Kholy + Heidi El-Kholy, both she/her), Laurent Yee (they/them), Maddy Page, Fiona Quadri and Creaming Strawberries (Naïstini Valaydon + Coco Warner-Allen, both She/Her). Building on the themes of last year, the exhibition aims to subvert the notion of “dramatic” or “hysterical” women* and reclaim terminology that has historically been used to silence oppressed communities. The show is specifically curated through an intersectional feminist lens in order to represent a broad range of topics from a varied selection of artists, whose work centres on exploring issues such as gender, race, identity, politics, climate change, feminism and more.

Hysterical will offer audiences a new and alternative way of engaging with art while emphasising that art can be fun and joyful, yet still tackle serious issues During the two-week residency, Hysterical will also host a panel discussion and a series of creative workshops.

Back by popular demand, the weekend of events will begin with a feminist zine making workshop hosted by Grrrl Zine Fair, and a life drawing class the following day by Body Love Sketch Club. Confirmed speakers for the panel include; model and instagram policy advocate Nyome Nicholas Williams, author of ‘Queer Body Power’ artist, and changemaker Essie Dennis, disabled model and content creator Lucy Dawson, and will be hosted by Bee Illustrates. More speakers TBC.

Admission to the exhibition is free, with workshops and events ticketed at accessible prices and art available for purchase. We are proud to say that 100% of the money raised from our ticket will be donated to The Outside Project and Glitch, with artists given the option to donate a percentage of the funds from sales of their art to the charities.