Jonny Briggs – Fitting In

The award-winning artist presents a surreal sculptural experience centered on men’s formal leather shoes—twisted, stretched, and reimagined into playful, unexpected forms throughout the exhibition. These shoes appear in black-and-white photographs worn by the artist, and leave bright pink footprints scaling the gallery walls. For Briggs, they represent the rigid expectations of masculinity—something his art boldly questions and reshapes.

The show’s title captures a core tension: the pressure to conform versus the desire to stand out. Briggs transforms symbols of conformity into absurd, playful objects, turning what once felt serious and strict into something soft, strange, and open to reinterpretation. There’s a hint of violence in the strained poses and forced movements, but his wearable sculptures are also wonderfully impractical—resembling circus props or surreal creatures. With a sense of childlike joy, they mock social formality and rigid gender roles.

At its heart, Fitting In is not just a critique of gender norms or inherited constraint—it’s a reclaiming of authorship over one’s own narrative.

Further information

For this engaging exhibition, the Spectrum team was delighted to work with Jonny Briggs and the gallery to produce a selection of C-type matt prints, mounted on bespoke aluminium shapes. It was a creative and rewarding project to help bring to life. You can explore our bespoke exhibition services and see how we can support your next photographic project.

Don’t miss this unique exhibition, on view at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Wandsworth, until July 12th. Admission is free