BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.5//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:10704@artinliverpool.com DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London;VALUE=DATE:20250607 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London;VALUE=DATE:20250915 DTSTAMP:20250731T150616Z URL:https://www.artinliverpool.com/events/ben-youdan-mask/ SUMMARY:Williamson Art Gallery & Museum: Ben Youdan: Mask DESCRIPTION:An Independents Biennial Exhibition\n\nMask\nBen Youdan\n\n\n\n \nAs part of a series of interventions in our Philip Wilson Steer ‘In Co nversation’ exhibition\, the Williamson has invited the Liverpool artist \, Ben Youdan\, to feature a work that contrasts and explores the themes f ound within Steer’s work.\n\nYoudan’s practice employs a wide variety of techniques and processes including collage\, drawing\, painting\, prin tmaking and photography\, to create imagery that takes inspiration from th e iconography and ephemera of popular culture as well as his lived experie nce. His pieces explore themes such as identity\, glamour and sexuality in an unapologetically Queer fashion.\n\n \;\n\nIn Youdan’s own words: \n\n“As an artist\, I am interested in exploring the notion that the mas ks we wear can reveal something intrinsic to our nature. These masks can b e physical or psychological. The anonymity of concealing our physical appe arance can have a liberating effect\, that emboldens the individual to exp lore their true nature. This inherent contradiction is particularly preval ent within queer sexual subcultures.\n\nSteer’s work is often seen as vo yeuristic\, whereas mine revels in a more exhibitionist nature\, born out of lived experience.\n\nWhilst Steer’s work has a muted\, naturalistic c olour palette\, my work revels in its own artifice. The colours selected a re deliberately synthetic\, clashing\, and even gaudy\, but with a self-aw areness and exuberance that reflects the unapologetic nature of the subjec t. In many ways this work is the polar opposite of the muted tones and per ceived repression found within some of Steer’s work in this exhibition.\ n\nIn traditional portraiture\, the eyes are typically what the viewer eng ages with\, setting the mood for the piece and revealing a vulnerability i n the subject. With ‘Mask’\, the eyes are deliberately obscured\, pres enting my subject in a way that is vulnerable\, honest and open in a way t hat protects them\, allowing them to remain indifferent to the judgement t hey might receive. Where Steer’s subjects are laid bare in a passive\, o pen manner\, mine retains their agency and power by presenting an authenti c version of themselves and their sexuality – on their terms.\n\nThe ima ge of the gas mask can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In this specif ic intervention it is a device used in sexual role-play in a variety of fe tish subcultures which deviate from the mainstream. It often denotes a sub missive person who has elected to give themselves over completely to the g ratification of a dominant partner. To a mainstream observer\, this can of ten have darker connotations. This piece aims to subvert that presumption. Instead of black shiny rubber\, it is presented in pink shiny glitter\, c hallenging preconceived notions of alternative sexual expression.\n\nMy co mplex\, handmade\, mixed media portraits take inspiration from my lived ex perience of pop culture\, the ephemera of daily life and queer subcultures .”\n\nPhilip Wilson Steer: In Conversation\n\nBen Youdan’s website\n\n \n \;\n\nAbout Williamson Art Gallery &\; Museum:\n\n \;\n\n\nW illiamson Art Gallery &\; Museum has been at the heart of Wirral cultur e since 1928. We create a warm\, welcoming and memorable experience for ev eryone\, make art and culture accessible and encouraging involvement at ev ery level.\n\n\n\n\n\nWe are home to a vibrant programme of exhibitions an d events\, a delicious Café serving meals and light bites all day\, and a diverse and nationally-relevant collection of arts and artefacts.\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.artinliverpool.com/wp-content/upload s/2025/07/Ben-Youdan-MASK-scaled-1-1.jpg CATEGORIES:Exhibitions LOCATION:Williamson Art Gallery & Museum\, Slatey Road\, Birkenhead\, Wirra l\, CH43 4UE\, Wirral\, United Kingdom GEO:53.384568;-3.040443 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Slatey Road\, Birkenhead\, Wirral\, CH43 4UE\, Wirral\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Wil liamson Art Gallery & Museum:geo:53.384568,-3.040443 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250330T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR