THE RIGHT TO SCRUTINY.
”…nothing shall appear that is disorderly, or that is unbecomingly or confusedly arranged, nothing profane, nothing indecorous…”
— Council of Trent, Twenty-fifth Session (1563)
In the decades following Michelangelo’s death, many of the nude figures his Sistine Chapel altarpiece, The Last Judgement, were covered with painted drapery in response to the Church’s growing concern with modesty and moral order.
This ceramic sculpture recalls those acts of concealment. Draped over a cross, the cloth bears the words Lust, Indecorous and Lasciviousness—terms drawn from the language used to condemn bodies, sexuality and artistic expression by followers of The Catholic Church.
Although rooted in a sixteenth-century moment, the work reflects a much longer history of deciding which bodies may be seen, whose desire is considered acceptable, and who has the authority to make those judgements.
The title, The Right of Scrutiny, questions the assumption that anyone possesses such authority. Who has the right to decide what is visible, what is shameful, and what must remain hidden? Today, with social media companies often censoring images that they deem to be inappropriate, the issue has not yet been confined to history.
#censorship #michelangelo #shameless
THE WELCOME. Oil on linen. 180 x 140cm.
This painting began with a small detail in Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, his altarpiece for the Sistine Chapel.
Hidden among the hundreds of figures ascending to heaven is an intimate encounter between two men. While Michelangelo’s work has been celebrated for centuries, it has also been repeatedly altered and censored, particularly where the male body and same-sex desire are concerned.
In The Welcome, I reimagine that fragment of Michelangelo’s vision through a contemporary queer lens. The central embrace is surrounded by scenes of affection, intimacy and connection drawn from modern life, creating a vision of heaven in which queer love is not scrutinised, hidden or tolerated, but simply welcomed.
The work asks a simple question: if heaven is a place of perfect acceptance, who gets to belong there? Perhaps paradise is not a place where we are judged, but a place where we are finally welcomed.
The Sanctuary at Cascina (after Michelangelo). Oil on linen. 320 x 200cm.
Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina depicts soldiers surprised while bathing, scrambling to dress before battle. It is a painting about urgency, vulnerability and the disciplined male body. In The Sanctuary at Cascina, I imagine the opposite. The figures are no longer preparing for conflict or concealing themselves. Instead, they inhabit a world where queer desire exists without fear, secrecy or shame. Bodies are not policed or judged; they simply exist in relationship with one another.
This isn’t a fantasy about sex as much as a meditation on freedom. How might we move through the world if we had never been taught that certain parts of ourselves needed to be hidden?
By borrowing Michelangelo’s composition, I wanted to reclaim one of the great monuments of Western art as a place of refuge rather than exclusion—a sanctuary where vulnerability is met with acceptance instead of scrutiny.
The main image has been pixelated here due to Meta censorship. The full image is on my website.
#michelangelo #queerart #censorship
A new reel discussing a recent painting inspired by Michelangelo’s “Battle of Cascina” oil sketch, which I discovered at @royalacademyarts late 2024. I was amazed at how Michelangelo produced a homoerotic fantasy whilst for the same project, Leonardo Da Vinci produced a traditional battle scene.
Thanks to my friend @arronblake for the video production. 🙏
The painting in the video is a work-in-progress but the final version will be posted later this week.
It will all be on show at my grad show - more details on @bankside_backside. #queerart #michelangelo #homoerotic
Discussing one of my current projects inspired by Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, a secret kiss and censorship. The painting in the video is a work-in-progress but the final version will be posted later this week.
Thanks to @arronblake for the video production.
#artisttalk #artinspiration #michelangelo #censorship
I’m graduating my BA Contemporary Portraiture at @the_artacademy_ and we’re putting on a grad show. Please come and join the celebration and see all of our work (group insta is @bankside_backside).
Second study for a new large painting (pixelated for Insta censorship), inspired by Michelangelo. What do you think? Please feedback in comments #painter #fineart #oilpainting
Study for a larger painting, inspired by Michelangelo
Great evening at @ateliersocial_artsclub life drawing with two models… @tajorn and @the_totter at @marestreetmarket
Study of Dancer (II). Acrylic on board. 12x16”.
Study of dancer. Acrylics on board. 12 x 16”.
Lovely evening at the opening event of the Portrait Award at Newcastle’s @laingartgallery - great to meet the museum team and catch up with many of the artists again 💕
This exhibition is on till November-I hope to revisit in the summer-let me know if you fancy a trip to Newcastle 🤠
Mammy, an inflatable sculpture made from bin bag material. Mammy represents Mammon, the God of Wealth, although it’s also a slang Scottish word for Mother. The plastic is a derivative of oil and often ends up in landfill where it doesn’t easily degrade. Original music by @rhiansongs and @massimoparamour , borrowed from Adoratio Idoli, a recent art performance. #sculpture #fineart #lust #greed
Install shots of Uncultivated Gods that was held at @hoxton_arches in Feb 2026. #artexhibitions #london
