The human body has played an essential role in art throughout history. From the classical sculptures of antiquity to the meticulous anatomical drawings of the Italian Renaissance, the figuration of the body has evolved through the centuries as artists explore the many different facets of identity. In the 20th century, artists started broadening their perception of the human body in art by experimentally associating the body with questions regarding sexual equality, gender identity and feminism, as societies began to reinterpret traditional and patriarchal social norms.

Upon meeting artist Sylvia Snowden in Paris last October, during her show at White Cube entitled Sylvia Snowden: Between Presence and Absence, it was immediately apparent that we were in the presence of greatness. Her whole demeanour, from her gentle nature and presence to her empathy and profound passion for her work, evoked a sense of awe and respect in all those present.

Few artists who challenged traditional representations of gender in art as boldly as LYRA artist Sylvia Sleigh. A Welsh-born realist painter, Sleigh gained prominence in the 1970s for reversing the male gaze by portraying male subjects with the same sensitivity and sensuality historically reserved for female nudes. Works, such as The Turkish Bath (1973), reinterpreted classical compositions by placing men in vulnerable, reclining poses.