Beyond the Binary: Gender Stories set to launch at Brighton Museum
Bold new exhibition at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is set to challenge assumptions on gender
This winter, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery invites locals and visitors alike to embark on a thoughtful, creative exploration of gender with Gender Stories – a reflective exhibition that explores how gender has been shaped, expressed and lived across cultures, eras and everyday experience.
Launching on 31 January and featuring works by Grayson Perry, David Hockney and Catherine Opie, the exhibition delves into the multifaceted world of gender. It explores how artists and communities have questioned long-held ideas about gender, what it means to be male, female, or non-binary, and how identity shapes our lives, communities and histories.
Importantly, Gender Stories centres community voices alongside more well-known artists. Personal stories sit alongside museum objects, grounding the exhibition in real lives and lived experience.
Brighton-specific artifacts, art and photography on display include a portrait of Sarah Savage, children’s author and the CEO of Trans Pride Brighton, items from LGBTQ+ rugby team the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents, and a reproduction engraving of Brighton legend Phoebe Hessel. Born in 1713, Hessel lived and dressed as a man serving in the British Army to be with her lover, later becoming a well-known local figure in Brighton, where she sold fruit and gingerbread and shared her remarkable life story.
The exhibition also features photography capturing historical protest and celebration on the streets of the city.
Set within the historic surroundings of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, the exhibition reflects the city’s long-standing reputation as a place that celebrates diversity and creativity and encourages curiosity and dialogue.
Gender Stories weaves together art, history, personal narrative and theory, challenging traditional binaries and inviting audiences to contemplate questions such as: What is gender? How do we experience it? Who defines it? And how does our understanding of it continue to evolve?
Joanne Smith, Creative Programmer and Gender Stories Project Lead said:
“Gender Stories is an inclusive exhibition that is open to everyone. Overall, it is about humanity and the different ways we connect and express ourselves. I know it will surprise people, make them smile, and hopefully come away feeling inspired.”
Created in collaboration with Bristol Museums, National Museums Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Museums, and communities from all three cities, Gender Stories showcases real and inspirational stories.
Whether you’re a cultural explorer, a weekend visitor to Brighton, or someone interested in art, identity and social history, Gender Stories offers a compelling reason to visit Brighton Museum & Art Gallery this season.
When: 31 January – 12 April 2026
Where: Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Pavilion Gardens, Brighton BN1 1FY
Admission: Free with museum entry (members free)
