One of Ottawa’s old courtrooms came to life through the diverse and colourful Pride Art Exhibit that showcased the work of more than 50 LGBTQIA+ artists.
With more than 120 pieces on display, the exhibit was a collaboration between the Ottawa Trans Library, Capital Pride and Ottawa Fringe and ran from Feb. 6 to 15.
Produced by Ottawa Fringe and located in the Arts Court, visual art galleries have been featured to the undercurrents festival — for a second straight year.
At least 70 per cent of the applications in the Pride Art exhibit were from trans-identifying individuals, according to Wilam Quesnel, co-project manager and volunteer at the Ottawa Trans Library.
Quesnel said the exhibit originally featured 10 artists — a low number in his view — but organizers soon decided to include every artist who applied.
“It just really reinforced [the idea to] us as we were getting the submissions that the community really wants to be heard,” Quesnel said.
Artist Moksha Singh-Sharpe said it feels “surreal” to have two of her pieces in the exhibit.
“To have art that’s not just in my sketchbook but on a wall in a public space, it’s very cool [and] very exciting,” she said.
Singh-Sharpe said she found the artist call for contributions on Instagram and decided to apply.
“A queer art exhibit was just so exciting to me … This seems like a nice space to put my art in. It doesn’t seem prestigious and it seems very community-based,” she said.
Singh-Sharpe said she hopes Snooze gives off cozy energy to viewers, while her other work displayed at the exhibit, Censored, wasn’t originally meant for the public, but for her own self-expression.
For artist Jasper Thorlakson, who contributed three paintings titled Transcendence, My Pride and I Am What You Made Me, it was also their first time displaying their work in an exhibit.
“It’s just an absolute honour to have my art being [in] an exhibit like this, alongside so many talented artists,” they said. “Although I definitely felt very anxious about how my art might be perceived, or if my work was good enough at all to be there.”
Thorlakson said it was hard not to compare their work to other artists in the exhibit.
“Being there surrounded by so much amazing art, it’s hard not to compare yourself to them,” they said. “But I also think that comparison can be useful. I get inspired by seeing works of art, especially in the queer community. It makes me want to create more.”
Thorlakson said they hope people can take away meaning from their work, whether it’s the intended message or not.
“I just want people to feel something,” they said. “And as far as exhibits like this, I hope that people can see that we as members of the queer community have always been here and we will not be silent.”
Attendee Lee Awad said they enjoyed the diversity of art forms in the exhibit.
“It’s unabashedly queer, and it feels fresh and alive,” they said.
“I feel like we don’t get to see art from people our age or even within our own community in spaces like this often,” they said. “[It] opens up further opportunities for more artists to emerge and maybe one day they’ll become a classic in the future.”
Quesnel said the privilege of attending an art school is a significant barrier for the queer art community, so having accessible exhibits like these are important.
“Where truly you’re not judged by your background, but by your art piece and your professionalism in presenting … it’s a powerful thing,” he said.
With many queer artists leaving Instagram as a result of U.S. politics and the Trump administration, Quesnel said there will be a continued need for similar exhibits.
“Having real, tangible places where the community can meet is going to be very important because otherwise artists just become isolated and disconnected from one another,” he said.
“The most powerful thing that can be done right now for the community is to give them space to be seen.”
A previous version of this article misspelled Wilam Quesnel’s name. This article was last updated on March 5, 2025 to reflect this change. The Charlatan regrets the error.
Featured image by Georgia Looman/The Charlatan.
