Permissible Beauty uses the power of portraiture to explore notions of beauty, from a black queer point of view, but with generous universal relevance. It comprises an 8 week immersive installation at Hampton Court Palace (starting 14 January 2023 and running until 12 March 2023), and a short art film that will tour the international film festival circuit before general release later in 2023.
The project was launched at Hampton Court Palace on Friday 13th January with an exuberant event featuring the official premier of the project’s film, a musical introduction to the project’s six portrait subjects by David McAlmont on fine form as an inspired cheerleader, followed by a joyful celebratory reception.
The already joyously delicious cake was iced by a very positive review from the Guardian later that day:
A further exciting development has been the inclusion of the Permissible Beauty film in the major Wellcome Collection blockbuster exhibition THE CULT OF BEAUTY. Our film can be seen – free – twice and hour, every day (except Mondays) in its own temporary mini cinema until 28 April 2023. https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA