AN LGBTQ+ art exhibition revealing "forgotten figures" is open to the public in Southampton.

Invisible Portraits is a free exhibition open to the public. The artworks are on display at Southampton Art Gallery until January 14.

The exhibition, created by British artist Lucy Ash, is made up of a series of abstract portraits created to make LGBTIQ+ history visible.

More than 300 Southampton residents and friends of the artist were invited to create artworks on tiles based on the theme of LGBTIQ+ figures.

The collection of tiles was put together by Lucy as a "visual diary" making up a large collage similar to her own work. 

Daily Echo: Sharon, Rowan, and Peter Lloyd Sharon, Rowan, and Peter Lloyd (Image: Hannah De Boltz, Newsquest)

Parents Sharon and Peter Lloyd, and their daughter Rowan, created three tiles based on LGBTIQ+ people they found "inspiring".

Rowan, 14, said: "It's been very interesting and I'm happy to have been part of this artwork.

"I really like the way she put everything together and even though it's all different people's art we are all expressing the same theme."

Another person who worked on the collage, Patches Newell from Bitterne, said they "really enjoyed" the new exhibition. 

The 20-year-old said: "As someone who is bisexual it feels great to see such representation for the community in Southampton.

"It's been great to see all the different elements that make up this exhibition like the poetry videos, the art itself.

"I am glad to be here on the first night of the exhibition to be surrounded by like minded people and to hear the artist viewpoint herself."

Residents can continue to add to the gallery's collage with a wall of postcards to draw and write about LGBTQ activism. 

Lucy has previously shown her work at Southampton City Art Gallery in 2020.

The artist who began the exhibition project in 2019 said she hopes to highlight "brave activists and LGBTQ+ figures."

She said: "It's about showcasing changing perceptions and creating more visibility or the invisible to one day live in a kinder world. 

"(This) has been exciting and rewarding but my work isn't over to create more representation.

"The work the people of Southampton added to the exhibition tells a story. Each tile holds a story for hope and it's wonderful to see."

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