Post Graduate Degree Show 2025 | Exhibitions

This body of work is shaped by my experiences of growing up during the late 1970s and 1980s, as a gay man often meant navigating a double life. I respond to the societal and political pressures of that era—forces that sought to suppress queer lives through targeted shame and rigid ideals of family and masculinity.

Installation view: a seated couple on a sofa, with a large red bed painting in the neighbouring space.

Now, later in life, I find myself discarding the shame I once carried for simply being who I am. Painting has become a way to examine that internalised shame, and to let it go. It’s an act of reclamation—of self, of my story, and of space.

Installation view: three large beachscape paintings with male figures arranged around a central partition.

The figures in my paintings are either anonymised or self-portraits. This allows me to shift between emotional distance and direct self-examination, deepening my connection to the work while inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of identity and belonging.

Installation view: two large standing figures on a long wall, lit by windows to the left.

Using figure, colour, and space, I construct compositions that explore the emotional impact of those years—the difficulties endured, and the quiet strength that emerged. The domestic and internal spaces I depict serve as sites of memory, tension, and quiet resistance. Some works are overtly autobiographical; others speak to shared queer experience, rooted in survival and the pursuit of joy.

Detail of a hand holding a tablet, painted in soft flesh tones.

Detail of a bare foot and trouser hem against a textured green ground.

ArtMag UK on the work

The Post Graduate Degree Show was reviewed by ArtMag UK as part of their coverage of the 2025 GSA showcase. Writing about this body of work, they noted:

“One of the most notable works is by Alan Brash. His oil paintings on canvas, presented in multiple dimensions and hanging unframed on the wall, strike a calming tone, and convey a comfort of simply existing as who we are.”

“He reflects these emotions not only through loose brushstrokes and colour choice, but also through the spaces he paints, capturing moments of resilience and vulnerability. ‘The figures are frequently caught in moments of stillness – nude or semi-dressed, alone or in intimate domestic settings – evoking both presence and absence.’” ArtMag UK, September 2025