The IDENTITY Project – A Portrait of a Community by award-winning photographer Chris Jepson is an exploration of what it means to identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community today.
A socially engaged, collaborative and multi-exhibited body of work, The IDENTITY Project gives visibility to marginalised LGBTQ+ people promoting a diverse and inclusive community.
WHY NOW?
After more than 20 years working for various LGBTQ+ media, the project was conceived in 2019 to redress the unhealthy bias of the visual narrative in mainstream media that LGBTQ+ people look a certain way.
By exhibiting in public places, this collection of the diverse faces of the LGBTQ+ community aims to reduce stereotypes in the wider public by challenging assumptions of what this marginalised demographic looks like, and give young queer people and those from marginalised backgrounds role models to look up to.
Homophobic and transphobic hate crime continues to be a blight in our society. Hate is often motivated by the unknown, and displaying this project aims to help improve community cohesion through making visible the depth and similarities in the identities we share.
Portraiture, whether painted, sketched or captured on film, has always been inextricably linked to the notion of identity and the black and white images encourage the viewer to look beyond the paraphernalia of location and engage directly with the sitter.
All families have disagreements and moments of discord, and the rainbow family is no exception, but this project shows that our rich diversity is our greatest strength.
some recent project highlights
AUG/SEPT 2023 – To mark 50 years since the first ‘Brighton Gay Pride march’ in July 1973, my exhibition, Gay Liberation: The Trailblazers of the Pride Movement, was on display for 2 months at Plus X Innovation in Brighton. The exhibition presents new portraits of veterans of the London GLF and the Sussex GLF, each a poignant testament to the personal narratives of the veterans, reflecting the trials they encountered while navigating the path to acceptance and liberation. read more here
AUG 2023 – An exhibition of new stories and portraits of the LGBTQ+ community of the Seahaven area, The Identity Project – Seahaven Edition, was displayed at Seahaven Pride at the Martello Fields, Seaford on 26th August. read more here
MAY 2023 – Middlesex University, Barnet Council and Inkluder CIC commission The Identity Project – Barnet Edition, a collection of stories and portraits of the LGBTQ+ community of Barnet, to launch the first Barnet Pride in the Park on Sunday 20th August. read more here.
FEB 2023 – Totally honoured to have my exhibition, The Identity Project – Brighton & Hove Edition, listed as one of the 10 best places to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month by Stephen Emms in The Guardian. visit The Guardian.
FEB 2023 – Two exhibitions of The Identity Project – Brighton & Hove Edition for LGBTQ+ history month. read more here
DEC 2022 – The Identity Project – Brighton & Hove Edition was published as a zine
JUN 2023 – Delighted to present The Identity Project – Paris Edition for ‘mois des fiertés‘ Paris Pride month. read more here
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE IDENTITY PROJECT, YOU CAN donate VIA PAYPAL or KOFI. you can also buy a copy of the poster or zine HERE. THANK YOU!
GET INVOLVED
I am looking for members of the LGBTQ+ community from all walks of life. If you would like to participate, please complete the ‘Get Involved‘ form, then we can arrange the when and where for the shoot which, once set up, should take no more than 10-15 minutes.