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National Trust - '126' Queer Exhibition
Project type
Poster
Date
2015
I designed the poster for 126, a 2015 audiovisual exhibition at Sutton House where LGBTQ+ people recited Shakespeare’s 126 Fair Youth sonnets, each paired with a short video portrait. Curated by Sean Curran, the project formed the centrepiece of Sutton House’s inaugural Queer Season, bringing queer narratives into a historic heritage setting.
//The Design Process
Concept-led poster design: I developed a visual approach that reflected the exhibition’s mix of Shakespearean text, contemporary queer voices and moving image, creating a poster that felt both historic and modern.
Collage and texture: I used a soft pastel collage effect to bring together old and new visual references, giving the artwork a layered, handmade quality that suited the intimate nature of the project.
Reworked portraiture: I mirrored Shakespeare’s portrait so he appeared to be gazing at himself, creating a subtle visual link to self-reflection, identity and the queer interpretation of the Fair Youth sonnets.
Video still integration: I incorporated stills from the exhibition films into the poster, placing the participants within the visual language of the piece and connecting the promotional artwork directly to the work being shown.
//The Exhibition Result
Strong cultural positioning: the poster helped frame 126 as a thoughtful, contemporary queer response to Shakespeare within a historic National Trust setting.
Clear exhibition identity: the artwork gave the project a distinct visual presence for Sutton House’s Queer Season, balancing literary heritage with LGBTQ+ representation.
Human-centred promotion: by using stills from the video portraits, the poster foregrounded the people at the heart of the project rather than treating the exhibition as purely literary or archival.
Past and present connection: the final design brought together Shakespeare, contemporary queer participants and the heritage setting in one cohesive image, supporting the exhibition’s aim of making queer narratives visible within historic spaces.
