Rory Midhani is a visual artist creating mixed-media pieces, murals, paintings and illustrations. He makes work all about the lives of Queer & Transgender people, with an emphasis on joy, celebration and freedom. He has been featured in publications and exhibitions across Europe, North and South America, and has worked as an illustrator for a wide-reaching international client base. Rory’s work is held in a number of archives, including with The Tom of Finland Foundation, and The Centre for The Study of Political Graphics.
“Rory Midhani’s skillfulness and dedication to his community are some of the artist’s greatest strengths. To have, in the Berlin artistic scene, an artist that represents queer people in such a natural, funny and benevolent way, is a cultural and societal necessity.”
– Louise Naudot, Indie Republik
Past Clients: adidas / Buzzfeed / medium.com / San Pellegrino / Transgender Europe / Flow Magazine / Deutsche Aidshilfe / Soho House / Curve Magazine / Siegessäule / SODI / Folx Health / The Devastator / Diva / Planned Parenthood / Autostraddle / Terrence Higgins Trust / Pornceptual / SchwuZ / L Mag / Whole Festival / AIDs Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
Photo by Nat Gass Photography
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Joy Ride - GlougauAIR - Berlin - DE
2022
Queer Intimacy, Fun & Fantasy - Hacker Porn Film Festival - Rome - IT
Hier ist’s Richtig! - Various Locations - Berlin - DE
2021
Untitled Solo - Sonntags Club - Berlin - DE
2020
Untitled Solo - Let It Bleed - Berlin - DE
2019
A Little Bit Larger Than Life - AKA - Berlin - DE
Art About Queer People Having A Nice Time - Kapitan - Berlin - DE
2018
Confessions in a Darkroom - r-1992 Artspace - Berlin - DE
2017
All Aboard! - Kapitan - Berlin - DE
2016
Nip Nip Hooray! - The CLUB - Berlin - DE
2015
Mostly Crowds - Oslo Art Space - Berlin - DE
Group Exhibitions
2024
4T: The Trans Body Rights Ar/ctivist Archive - Queer Museum Vienna - Vienna - AT
Lange Nacht der Bilder - Kunstfabrik HB55 - Berlin - DE
The Conversation - Margarine - Berlin - DE
Bearly Athens - The Project Room - Athens - GR
Festival Lambe Floripa - Florianópolis - BR
Kottilesben Present: Queer Culture - Prachtwerk - Berlin - DE
PRNCPTL DOES BEIJING - Groundless Factory - Beijing - CN
Müll nebenan - Margarine - Berlin - DE
The Tom of Finland Festival - Berghain Halle - Berlin - DE
Let it Beat - Let it Bleed - Berlin - DE
2023
Constellations Festival - Various Locations - Berlin - DE
BAAM - Not A Gallery - Berlin - DE
Winter Salon - The Ballery - Berlin - DE
Colours of Pride - The Social Hub - Berlin - DE
Let it Beat - Let it Bleed - Berlin - DE
Queer B-Cademy - Kampnagel - Hamburg - DE
Seattle Erotic Art Festival - Seattle - USA
Scout 22 - Galleri Heike Arndt DK - Kettinge - DK
Donizetti Night (Live Painting Performance) - Gaetano Donizetti Theatre - Bergamo - IT
2022
Fluidity - KIB Raum Fur Kunst - Berlin - DE
Fantastic Playground - Marcel von Berlin - Berlin - DE
FEMME4FEMME4EVER – The Queer Archive Festival - Athens – GR
No Straight Lines - Babylon Kreuzberg - Berlin – DE
Fresh Legs - Galleri Heike Arndt - Berlin - DE
Anonyme Zeichner - Gallerie Im Kornerpark - Berlin - DE
2021
Coven - Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research - Athens - GR
Brutal Art - Somos Gallery - Berlin - DE
Kunstpreis Wesseling - Wesseling - DE
2020
Seattle Erotic Art Festival - Seattle - USA
Tag der Clubkultur - Kit Kat Club - Berlin - DE
5 Rooms / 5 Artists - Die Fabrik - Berlin - DE
Instinct: United - The Village - Berlin - DE
Fumetto Comic Festival - Kunsthalle Luzern - Luzern - CH
End of Days II - City Kino - Berlin - DE
2019
My Gay Eye - The Ballery - Berlin - DE
Pop Up - The Ballery - Berlin - DE
25 by kink.cz - Prostor39 - Prague - CZ
Queer Art Brunch Club - Downtown Lunchroom - Amsterdam - NL
End Of Days - Altes Finanzampt - Berlin - DE
Stonewall 50: Days of Futures Past - GlogauAIR - Berlin - DE
Seattle Erotic Art Festival - Seattle - USA
Instinct 7: Beautiful We - The Village - Berlin - DE
2018
42 Contemporary Artists by Enter Art Foundation - Gerichtshoefe - Berlin - DE
United - Gologorski Gallery - Krakow - PO
2016
Wannabe - The Ballery - Berlin - DE
2015
The F Word - Amsterdam - NL
Colours Festival - Berlin - DE
2013
Zeitgeist - Queer Cultural Centre - SOMArts - San Francisco - USA
Let Me Illustrate - The Grant Bradley Gallery - Bristol - UK
TranScreen Festival - Amsterdam - NL
Secret 7" - Mother Gallery - London - UK
2012
D&AD New Blood - Spitalfields - London - UK
Seattle Erotic Art Festival - Seattle - USA
Secret 7" - Idea Generation Gallery - London - UK
Permanent Collections
The Tom of Finland Foundation - California - USA
Centre for the Study of Political Graphics - California - USA
La Nau Bostik - Barcelona - ES
Residencies
2019 Can Serrat Artist Residency - El Bruc - ES
Grants
2022
Neustart Kultur Modul D - Deutscher Künstlerbund
Awards
2022
Shortlist – Kunstpreis Sparkasse – Karlsruhe - DE
2021
Finalist - Poster Stellars - New Jersey - USA
Shortlist - Kunstpreis Wesseling - DE
Film Festival Screenings for ‘In The Dark’
Berlin Porn Film Festival - Berlin - DE
CineKink - New York - USA
Hacker Porn Film Festival - Rome - IT
Vancouver Queer Film Festival - Vancouver - CA
The East Village Queer Film festival - New York - USA
The 3rd Annual Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival - Jim Thorpe - USA
Berlin Music Video Awards - Berlin - DE
Leeds Queer Film Festival - Leeds - UK