New exhibition from Skye Baker to explore transition journey

A powerful new exhibition offering a deeply personal insight into an artist’s experiences and relationship with gender has opened at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery.

Skye Baker’s solo exhibition, Foreign Bodies, showcases provocative performance and video-based works exploring the psychological and physical impact of her transition journey.

The exhibition also seeks to reflect the wider experiences of the trans community in the UK, examining how trans individuals are perceived within a divided society.

Trans rights have been a prominent topic in the media recently, particularly following the Supreme Court’s ruling in April that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act 2010 is based on biological sex.

It remains a highly contentious issue, sparking intense debate and division. However, Skye hopes visitors will approach the exhibition with an open mind and a willingness to consider alternative perspectives.

The 18-year-old said: “I do believe the exhibition has something to offer everyone, regardless of their views, and I’m really interested to see how different people interpret my work.

"Everyone is welcome – you don’t need any prior knowledge, just a willingness to keep an open mind.”

Skye features in all of the works, and while the inspiration is drawn from her own life, she views Foreign Bodies as representing something much broader.

She added: “I’m not simply documenting my own experience - I’m using it as a lens to explore the wider experience of the trans community, its place in society, and how it is perceived.”

A central theme of the exhibition is the feeling of being constantly judged or viewed with suspicion, and the anxiety and frustration that come from having little control over others’ assumptions.

Skye, who has lived in Warrington all her life and recently completed an Art Foundation course at Priestley College, said: “There’s a dynamic that many marginalised communities experience, where strangers feel entitled to question deeply personal aspects of someone’s identity, despite knowing nothing about them.

"In this exhibition, I explore the discomfort and tension that such public interactions can create.”

Despite the exhibition’s serious themes, Foreign Bodies also includes a playful, interactive element, allowing visitors to shape their own experience.

“After watching each piece, visitors are given a choice that determines where they go next, creating multiple possible paths through the exhibition,” she explained.

“I like the idea that people can reach different endings and have varied experiences depending on the decisions they make.

"I want visitors to be more actively engaged and to reflect on their own role within the work.”

Foreign Bodies was made possible after Skye won Warrington Museum’s Open Exhibition in 2024, becoming the youngest winner in the competition’s history at just 17.

The new exhibition builds on the themes of Guttural - Skye’s award-winning video piece from the Open Exhibition - and brings together work created over the past two years.

“I’ve also included a piece that took up a large part of the early months of this year, where I documented my daily life in detail,” she said.

“From planning and sourcing props to performing, filming, editing, and curating – it’s been a huge undertaking.

"These ten pieces represent two years of work, and Foreign Bodies wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my friends, tutors, and curator.

"It’s been an intense year, finishing my foundation course while developing the exhibition, but I’m so excited to see it all come together.

"I’ve only ever seen individual pieces of mine in galleries before, so having this much of my work on display at once is a first.

"It’s also a real honour to present the first video and performance-based exhibition at Warrington Museum.”

Skye Baker: Foreign Bodies runs until 14 September.