As Pride Month comes to a close, it marks a moment to reflect on the LGBTQ+ voices within the arts, both historically and in the present day. While the queer community have long been marginalised and under-represented, within the arts there are a number of prominent artists who have contributed significantly to art history. Pride month offers the opportunity to celebrate and amplify queer voices, championing unapologetic representation following years of suppression and prejudice towards the LGBTQ+ community. This article offers a glimpse into queer voices who have led the art world across the years, as well as celebrating current LGBTQ+ artists who are forging their own paths within the contemporary art world. From the systemic erasure of queer voices and narratives across history to the prejudice and persecution faced by the LGBTQ+ community, it is more important than ever to stand with and support marginalised voices in 2025.  

Across history, there have been numerous LGBTQ+ artists who have canonically shaped the art world. While some were open about their queer identities, many remained closeted due to prejudice and a lack of acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across society. Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. 1960), considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, was a neo-expressionist artist whose practice can be recognised through his signature gestural graffiti style and figuration. Drawing inspiration from the gritty, bustling streets of New York in the 1980s, Basquiat has described his art as “royalty, heroism, and the streets.” Throughout his practice, Basquiat used art as a way to critique power structures and systems of racism, drawing on his own experiences in the Black community. While Basquiat never officially came out, those close to him acknowledged his bisexuality, with his then girlfriend Suzanne Mallouk describing his sexuality as “not monochromatic. It did not rely on visual stimulation, such as a pretty girl. It was a very rich multichromatic sexuality.”  

Portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Lee Jaffe

Within the conversation around queer identity, gender is a topic that often arises and the acceptance of identities beyond the binary. Toyen (b. 1902), born Marie Čermínová, was a prominent artist within the Surrealist movement in Paris and Prague. They adopted the gender-neutral pseudonym Toyen, often questioning gender roles and heteronormativity through both their artistic practice and identity.  While Toyen produced a number of works that addressed the aftermath of the Second World War, a key theme that they developed across their practice was that of the queer experience. Their works provided a different perspective to that of their predominantly male counterparts at the time within the surrealist movement. Toyen’s works offer an alternative path of openness and acceptance, one that expands beyond the binaries of society.  

Toyen 

While many artists were often private about their sexuality, Félix González-Torres (b. 1957) lived and worked as an outwardly gay man. Throughout his career González-Torres tackled topics such as discriminatory public policies, censorship of LGBTQ+ artists, and the impact of the AIDS epidemic. González-Torres’ works were conceptually maximalist, confronting the emotions and tribulations that emerged from these issues. He was also a member of Group Material, a New York-based art collective that was known for its cultural activism, institutional critique, and collaborative ethos. In 1989, González-Torres commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising with a billboard in Sheridan Square, New York. The Stonewall Uprising was triggered by a police raid on The Stonewall Inn and became a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ activism, sparking the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.  

Felix Gonzales-Torres, Untitled, 1989

Today there are numerous artists who are channelling their lived experiences and embracing the beauty and strength of their identities. Artists such as Zanele Muholi (b. 1972) are not only forging representation, but they are also creating works that encourage conversations surrounding politics and activism. Muholi, who grew up in South Africa during the height of apartheid, has emphasised, “what is important to me is how my work challenges and contributes to society and the place of Black LGBTQIA+ people within it.” Muholi’s work captures the multifaceted struggle of both race and sexuality, building their own representation that empowers both artist, subject, and viewer. On their practice, Muholi has said, “My images are portraits, so if my work is exhibited, someone else’s existence is also being affirmed. What matters is having a dialogue – with people, with institutions and history. It’s a collective project of reclaiming space.”  

Zanele Muhobi, Qiniso, The Sails, Durban, 2019

While many artists document the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community and the fight toward equality and acceptance, there are artists who also capture the quiet everyday moments of the queer experience. Killion Huang (b. 1999), an artist from Hangzhou, China, explores the intricacies of queer identity, particularly focusing on themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and community. Huang aims to make these identities visible, especially in societies where LGBTQ+ communities are not able to live as freely. Within the stillness of the painted scenes, there is a strength in Huang’s insistence of queer presence and the way in which he challenges the silence that often surrounds it. Huang has discussed his practice, saying, “I portray queerness and peaceful love in an ordinary way: personal but not so discreet.” Huang conveys the resistance that is held by simply being and the steady power of existence in itself.  

Killion Huang, Attic, 2023