Joy Gregory: Catching Flies with Honey
Arnolfini presents a landmark exhibition celebrating Joy Gregory’s pioneering practice
Opening Bristol Photo Festival 2026 with one of its major headline exhibitions
Bringing together more than 150 photographs, films, installations and textile works spanning four decades, the exhibition invites you to discover a practice that has continually redefined the possibilities of photography.
Since the early 1980s, Gregory has challenged expectations of both photography and what Black or feminist art should look like. Working across historic photographic processes, digital media, performance and textiles, her work explores identity, beauty, history and belonging through images that are visually rich, materially inventive and deeply human.
The exhibition was originated by Whitechapel Gallery, London, where it was first shown (8 October 2025 – 1 March 2026) with the subsequent tour organised in collaboration with Arnolfini, Bristol. Joy Gregory: Catching Flies with Honey has been generously supported by Freelands Foundation.
The exhibition is part of Bristol Photo Festival, which runs from 14 October – 15 November 2026.
Joy Gregory: Catching Flies with Honey has been generously supported by:
Freelands Foundation through the Freelands Award 2023
Research for this exhibition has been supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
With additional support for the artist from The Elephant Trust
