What's on in London: Leigh Bowery!
A major retrospective of the iconic artist.
Emerging in the 1980s as a focal point of London nightlife, Leigh Bowery has become a key cultural touch-point in the world of fashion, style, and entertainment.
Originally from Australia, Bowery's initial focus was as a fashion designer. Finding the world of fashion too restrictive, Bowery revelled in the chaotic energy of London's club-kid scene, evolving his aesthetic so that he became the performance, his body was the canvas, he was a walking piece of art.
His impact and influence continues to be strongly visible today - not only in queer culture, but also in the world of avant-garde fashion and design.
This exhibition - curated in collaboration with Bowery's close friend Nicola Rainbird - is a major retrospective, a fitting tribute to Bowery's undeniable talent for demanding attention and pushing the boundaries of what was possible and what was acceptable.
One of the strengths of the exhibition is the way it brings to life the club culture of Bowery's early years. There's a lot of photography, video, and documentation from the short-lived but impactful Taboo, as well as the other parties and events of the time.
I hadn't seen Lucian Freud's naked portraits of Bowery before - these are really powerful, giving a sense of the man beneath the performance of Leigh Bowery.
There is reference to the systemic homophobia that gripped the UK at that, and there is a sense that Bowery's point of view was at odds with the prevailing culture, but there perhaps could have been more of an exploration of Bowery's work as a form of protest and rebellion against stifling heteronormativity.
I also would have liked a bit more of a sense of Bowery's cultural legacy - we are presented with Bowery as a time-capsule without really understanding how his work continues to resonate and shape our creative perspectives.
But overall, it felt exhilarating to see Bowery receiving such flagship treatment in such a mainstream art space as Tate Modern. If you're in London, this is worth checking out.
Leigh Bowery! is on at Tate Modern from 27 February – 31 August 2025
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