An impressive collection of gender themed art works is to be shown at the Walker Art Gallery from 16 May 2026.
The show highlights the works of key artists from Grayson Perry to David Hockney, with personal objects such as a Liverpool LGBTQ+ football scarf. The exhibition covers centuries of history through oil paintings, etchings, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and video.
Some of the historical works include a watercolour by Sarah Biffin who won a medal from the Society of Arts, after she was born with no arms and learned to paint with her mouth. She was commissioned for her works by the Royal Family and spent her final years in Liverpool.
A linen smock joins the work on display, which was worn by the artist Gluck in the 1930s. The artist adopted a gender-neutral name with no prefix, suffix or quotes. Born Hannah Gluckstein in 1895, dressed in menswear and having their hair cut at a barber in Bond Street, they created one of the most famous same-sex paintings titled Medallion, an iconic double portrait of themselves and their lover Nesta Obermer, painted in 1936.
Charlotte Keenan, Head of Walker Art Gallery, said: “Everyone has a lived experience of gender, and this exhibition creates space for visitors to reflect on their own while hearing from others. Working with communities across Liverpool has been central to bringing Gender Stories to the Walker, and we hope it will be a place for honest conversation and genuine connection.”
Gender Stories is part of MAGNET (Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring), a network of 12 museums and galleries sharing their collections with regional audiences. The exhibition toured to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in 2025 and Brighton Museum and Art Gallery earlier in 2026 before arriving in Liverpool.
Gender Stories opens at Walker Art Gallery on 16 May 2026 and runs until 31 August 2026.
For more information visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/genderstories
