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Window Project 2026

Grow and Bloom, Usva Inei

hARTslane is proud to present our 2026 new Window Project artwork and artist!

Please join us on Saturday 7 November  at 5:30pm for the official unveiling of ‘Grow and Bloom’.

‘Grow and Bloom’ responds to the current anti-trans politics in the UK and, specifically, the recent supreme court ruling that made a lot of the trans and queer community feel unsafe, unsupported, and unwelcome in society. The aim of the piece is to provide hope, representation, and recognition in what feels like very dark times for minorities.

The artwork unfolds as a spray painted flower bouquet in trans flag colours. All the flowers have historical and cultural meaning in connection to the LGBTQ+ community, signifying celebration, remembrance, resistance, and representation. The piece teeters on the edge of being a subtle or being a direct statement about trans rights in the UK. This is in parallel to how trans people have to exist in society: constantly calculating when it is safe and smart to be out with their identity and when it is better to stay hidden.

Artist Bio

Usva Inei is a trans non-binary visual artist and artist educator who works through painting, textiles, and various forms of printmaking. Stemming from their lived experiences as a queer Russian immigrant, Usva reimagines and reclaims traditional Slavic imagery and patterns by bringing in elements of anti-war and pro-LGBTQ+ protest. Through their artwork, Usva hopes to consolidate a desire to connect with one’s heritage with a fight against a government that does not respect human rights, allow freedom of speech, or acknowledge LGBTQ+ identities.

Usva’s art practice is strongly linked to working with communities: they regularly run art workshops and interactive events for groups of all ages with the aim of fostering reflection, interaction, and learning. They are specifically interested in the role of traditions and cultural heritage in how individuals understand themselves and their communities.
www.usvainei.com
www.instagram.com/usva.inei 

hARTslane Window Project

An annual opportunity to propose an artwork for hARTslane’s window, open to hARTslane Artist Members

 

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