Beneath the Sheets exhibition

Thackray Museum of Medicine, 2026

Beneath the Sheets is an exhibition offering an intimate look at centuries of anatomical artworks. From Joseph Maclise’s hauntingly beautiful 19th-century drawings to marginalised figures who were objectified, fetishized, or silenced, the exhibition uncovers the human stories behind anatomy.

The exhibition design was inspired by the contrast between the eroticism of the drawings, and the horror of gazing at dead people’s bodies. It combines evanescent pink gradients (achieved both in print and through the use of neon lighting) with a font with sharp serifs, in reference to the surgeon’s blade.