In August 2025 I was comissioned by Southampton Pride to create a window mural to raise awareness about HIV and AIDs. The final artwork is installed on an 11m tall window at The John Hansard Gallery and will be in place until the summer of 2026.
This project was done in collaboration with City Eye, Go Southampton and Arts Council England. Throughout the project I also had the privilage of connecting with one of the first people in the UK to be diagnosed with AIDs, Jonathan Blake, who helped to insipred and inform the work.
The Artwork
My goal for this artwork was to create a visual representation of the progression of the AIDs epidemic. I wanted to show where the epidemic started, all of the work and protest that has taken place to make headway in treatment, and to also highlight the steps we need to take to continue raising awareness and make a difference.
I initially approached the project thinking about it from an LGBTQIA+ viewpoint. I wanted to show how AIDs has affected the queer community, created stigma against us, and explore how the wider LGBTQ+ community came together to support those with AIDs. However through my research, I also realised how important it was to amplify the voices of other marginalised people affected by AIDs and HIV. This inspired me more than ever to create a truly diverse and inclusive illustration.
When designing this piece it was really important for me to think about how it would look from a distance as well as from a street level. This was why I decided to overlay the red ribbon across the design. This made the concept instantly recognisable from a distance and also invited viewers to come closer and find out more if they had the opportunity to do so.