_ Home and Away: LGBT Londoners is a series of biro and coloured pencil portraits of LGBT people who currently call London their home.

The title is “Home and Away” because this phrase means “gay” in cockney rhyming slang, but also because as well as being their home, London is also an away place for many LGBT people, who may have grown up in other UK cities or come to live in London from abroad.

The biro drawings are made from photographic snapshots, and then coloured with coloured pencils.  The main influence for this style of drawing comes from Ukiyoe, meaning in Japanese “pictures of floating world.”

_ Aliyahgator was born in Freedom Fields Hospital in Plymouth, and now lives in London. Aliyahgator has lived in all four quarters of London, north, east, south and west, and has finally chosen South East London as a permanent home.

Aliyahgator draws using biros, and also felt tip pens and coloured pencils. Aliyahgator’s illustrations have been used in newspapers, magazines, fashion magazines, and online zines.

 
This is Aliyahgator’s third exhibition, previous exhibitions have been in Brick Lane and Swansea, South Wales. For more information about Aliyahgator’s illustrations please visit the website at www.aliyahgator.com

With support from
Southwark LGBT Network