New LGBTQ+ exhibition to open at Royal Liver Building this February

Liverpool-based photographer and curator Laura McCann is set to unveil her latest powerful exhibition, The Many Faces of Sahir in one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, The Royal Liver Building.

The Many Faces of Sahir is the second phase of a project commissioned by Liverpool charity Sahir, following the success of The Many Faces of HIV, which was exhibited at The Museum of Liverpool in 2023 to mark the 35th World AIDS Day.

The project was well received and we wanted to expand the idea to include other people in the LGBTQ+ community.

The new project has been made possible by The National Lottery community fund and focuses on people who’ve moved to Liverpool because they can’t live freely in their country of birth and it’s being launched to coincide with LGBT History Month in February.

The Many Faces of Sahir. Credit: Laura McCann

There are 64 countries that criminalise being LGBTQ+ and in some places it still carries the death penalty.

Laura McCann said:

“In many parts of the world the friends and family of an LGBTQ+ person will also be at risk, simply by association. So people who try to escape that situation are thinking not only about their own safety but everyone they know. It wasn’t long ago that it was illegal to be gay in the UK, which seems unthinkable now but it does prove that change is possible.”

Laura’s exhibition features portraits from a group called Many Hands which was set up by Sahir to offer support and guidance to LGBTQ+ people seeking refuge in this country.

Katrina Taylor, Community Engagement Worker at Sahir said:

“The group is made up of individuals from various places but we try to create a sense of universal community. We hope this project builds their confidence and inspires others to live their lives authentically too.”

Laura has decided to display portraits of Sahir’s service users next to images of artists from Liverpool’s drag scene.

2025 is Sahir’s 40^th anniversary and Laura said she wanted to show the many faces of the city and try to emphasise how much things have changed since in 1985.

Laura added:

“Drag is about self-expression and I wanted to juxtapose portraits of people who’ve sadly left their own countries due to persecution, with artists who are living more freely here. I believe visibility is power and as most people know I don’t use photoshop or additional lighting because I like to present people as they are in reality. So for me every one of the images on display represents a celebration of people striving to live their truth.”

Ian Edwards, CBRE General Manager of The Royal Liver Building, said:

“We’ve hosted several events curated by Laura and we’re especially looking forward to this one as it’s the first to showcase her own photography. We’re really proud to support projects that champion the city’s diversity and we particularly wanted to mark LGBT History Month in this very positive way”.

The Many Face’s Exhibition will run from the 7 to the 14 of February on the ground floor of the Royal Liver Building, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

The exhibition is fully accessible and entry is free, although there will be a chance to donate to Sahir, should you wish to.