‘I call them erotic landscapes’: fashion photographer Tim Walker on his powerful tapestry of queer Britain
Fashion photographer Tim Walker is launching an exhibition titled 'Fairyland: Love and Legends' at the National Portrait Gallery, which documents the history and lives of the queer community in Britain. The project was inspired by a chance discovery of a plaque marking the first gay rights demonstration in Britain.
Why it matters
The exhibition serves as a cultural archive, bridging the gap between historical activism and contemporary queer identity through high-fashion portraiture.
Trademark white background … Chappell Roan in Walker’s show. Photograph: Courtesy Tim Walker Trademark white background … Chappell Roan in Walker’s show. Photograph: Courtesy Tim Walker Art and design ‘I call them erotic landscapes’: fashion photographer Tim Walker on his powerful tapestry of queer Britain He has shot everyone from Madonna to Rihanna, Kate Moss and Frank Ocean. Now Walker has turned his lens on the activists, artists, writers, models and everyday heroes of gay life
Jason Okundaye Tue 6 Oct 2026 00.00 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google S ix years ago, Tim Walker was walking in the Highbury Fields area of London when he came across a plaque on the side of a building. In 1970, at these now-converted public toilets, Louis Eakes, chairman of the Young Liberals , was arrested for importuning following a “pretty police” entrapment in which male officers posed as would-be sex partners.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in