Disabled trans artist's exhibition at Salford's Lowry Gallery portrays 'people like me'

Video report by Granada Entertainment Correspondent Caroline Whitmore

An artist who identifies as queer, transgender, disabled and mixed race is "chuffed" to be making an eye-catching debut at Salford's Lowry Gallery.

Manchester-based Julian Gray feels LBGTQ+ people are under-represented in art - and to redress the balance created a comic book-inspired collection called "Stories For Us".

At the heart of the artist's first-ever solo exhibition will be an opportunity for visitors to engage with the process of comic-making through drawing and writing.

Visitors are invited to display their finished creations in the gallery space, contributing to an evolving response to the show.

Julian is proud that the stories in the show speak up for marginalised communities Credit: ITV Granada

Julian told Granada Entertainment Correspondent Caroline Whitmore: "I'm absolutely bowled over, to be honest.

"This is my first-ever solo exhibition, and I'm just amazed that I was able to have it at The Lowry. I'm really chuffed."

Describing one striking work, showing two female knights crossing swords, Julian said: "The story itself is a love story between two women and the character of the warrior is very muscular. She's tall, she's not wearing scantily-clad armour.

One picture portrays two female knights who fall in love Credit: Julian Gray

"She's a character who I really wanted to see in the media. And so I thought, why not do it myself?

"I am a very proud trans, queer, mixed race, disabled person-of-colour artist, and that portrays itself through my artwork and it's something that I really want to get out there. 

"I create these stories for myself and also people like me, people who don't necessarily see themselves in the mainstream stories that are in comics."

A scene from another story - The Invalid's Valet Credit: Julian Gray

Another series of pictures, The Invalid's Valet, is inspired by Julian's own experiences of disablity.

Julian told Caroline: "The main character of the Invalid's Valet has the same condition that I have - ME/CFS - which is a condition that I've lived with since I was 19.

"ME/CFS is an invisible disability, and that's something that I really wanted to explore in the comic as well. Because sometimes when your condition is invisible to the outside world, you can get a lot of misunderstanding because people look at you and they see someone who seems, well."

Julian's exhibition - "Stories for Us" - is on at the Lowry Gallery until 2 May, 2022. 

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