Not Your Muse

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – but who gets to be the beholder, and how do their perspectives shape what we see as beautiful?

Join us to explore how ideas of beauty are tied to power, ownership and commerce. Taking the image ‘The Sable Venus’ as a starting point – which depicts an enslaved woman during the Transatlantic Slave Trade – we’ll consider how beauty has been defined, controlled and commodified.

Through open discussion, we’ll reflect on how standards of beauty have been imposed, internalised and resisted throughout history. Together, we’ll ask: who decides what is beautiful? How does beauty serve as a tool of oppression? And how might we express our own sense of beauty?

This session also includes an art workshop, where you’ll create your own ‘muse card’ – inspired by anyone you think deserves the title of ‘muse’. This could be yourself, a friend or someone who challenges traditional ideals of beauty. You’ll explore both external and internal perspectives of beauty through collage and mixed-media making.

If you’d like a break from the activities, you can visit our Chill-out Room to rest or relax. It will have low lighting, comfortable seating, cushions, mats and sensory aids such as ear defenders and toys.

The discussion and materials in this workshop will include references to enslaved people, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. You can find out more about how Wellcome Collection is addressing the colonial roots of our collections in this statement.

We’ll be in the Forum. To get there, take the lift or stairs up to level 1 and then follow the signs through the ‘Being Human’ gallery.

Booking a ticket for a free, in-person event does not guarantee you a place. You should aim to arrive 15 minutes before the event is scheduled to start to claim your place. If you do not arrive on time, your place may be given to someone on the waiting list.

If this event is fully booked, you may still be able to attend. We will operate a waiting list, which opens 30 minutes before this event starts. Arrive early, and we’ll give you a numbered ticket. If there are any unfilled places just before the start time, we will invite you to enter in order of ticket number.

This event will have British Sign Language interpretation.

This is a relaxed event, which means that if you need to, you are welcome to move around and make noise at any time.

For more information, please visit our Accessibility page. If you have any queries about accessibility, please email us at [email protected] or call 020 7611 2222.

Our event terms and conditions

(she/her)

Rebekah is a Visitor Experience & Engagement Facilitator at Wellcome Collection. She's interested in exploring the connection between creativity and the self, and has a background in biomedical sciences and science communication.

(she/her)

Solange is a Visitor Experience & Engagement Facilitator, creating exciting, engaging and thought-provoking experiences for visitors to the Wellcome Collection. Solange has a professional background in the higher education sector and has supported students at all stages of their learning. Solange has a particular interest in archaeology and ancient material culture.

Image credit: Beauty Study Day, Kathleen Rundell. Source: Wellcome Collection. .

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