Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Ms. Afsal and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm really pleased about that because I, for one, love teaching art, and next, because of the subject matter today, we are looking at gender and sexuality in art, which I think is gonna be a really interesting subject for us to explore.

Our lesson comes from the unit of work, Personal Identity, inviting you to take particularly good care of yourselves in this lesson as we explore different aspects of identity.

If you're ready with some openness, focus, and enthusiasm, we'll begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is "I can design a repeat pattern which symbolises inclusion." We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them.

Gender, stereotype, and pattern.

Gender is a group of people in society who share particular qualities which that society associates with being male, female, or another identity.

Stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a person or thing, and a pattern is a repeated decorative design.

These are the keywords for our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Gender and sexuality in art, and it has two learning cycles: Creatively expressing gender and sexuality and Creating a repeating pattern to symbolise inclusion.

Let's begin with creatively expressing gender and sexuality.

Gender is about how we feel inside, how we express ourselves through clothing or behaviour, and how society perceives us.

Like gender, for a lot of people sexuality exists on a spectrum.

People may identify as straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, and more.

For some people, both gender and sexuality can be fluid and could change over time.

Sexuality is about who you are attracted to and who you might want to have a romantic or physical connection with.

There are many ways to describe sexuality, including: heterosexual, attracted to people of the opposite sex, gay or lesbian; attracted to the same sex, bisexual, attracted to more than one gender, pansexual, attracted to people regardless of gender, and asexual, doesn't experience sexual attraction.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following best describes the difference between gender and sexuality? A, they mean the same thing.

B, gender is about identity and expression; sexuality is about who you're attracted to.

We'll see.

Gender is who you're attracted to; sexuality is whether you are male or female.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

Indeed, gender is about identity and expression.

Sexuality is about who you're attracted to.

What are gender stereotypes? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Gender stereotypes are generalised ideas about how people should behave, look, or feel based on their gender, including: girls should be gentle, emotional, and nurturing, boys shouldn't cry or show emotion, girls are not good at engineering or mathematical jobs, boys must be strong and competitive, girls should do the cooking and cleaning, boys should like football or rugby, not ballet or singing.

These are all gender stereotypes.

Have you ever faced gender stereotyping? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing, and remembering, we're gonna take good care of ourselves if some of these discussions feel a little tough.

Here's Laura.

"When I was younger, I was given baby dolls and a play kitchen.

Although it was very kind, I'd already said I preferred LEGO.

I've always liked building things." And here's Jacob.

"I recently chose textiles as an option and my friends tried to put me off saying it was a girl's subject, but many famous fashion designers are men." Very true.

Have you ever felt pressured to act a certain way because of your gender? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Here's Jun.

"I was upset recently due to a death in my family and felt that I couldn't show my feelings in front of my friends.

I thought they would all think I was soft." I'm sad for the loss and I'm sad that you felt that way.

And here's Izzy.

"At my gran's house, we have jobs to do.

Mine include cleaning, whereas my brother's jobs are in the garden, cutting the grass or washing the car.

I'd love to use the lawnmower." It is a fun job mowing the lawn and I'm sorry you've been excluded from that.

Gender and sexuality are deeply influenced by culture and ideas about what is normal and vary widely across the world, including: Indigenous North American community's two-spirit people.

The term emphasises the spiritual aspect of gender identity, suggesting that individuals embody both masculine and feminine spirits.

19th century Qajar Iran, women with facial hair and moustaches were considered a sign of beauty.

South Asian, India, Pakistan, Nepal.

the Hijra community, third gender, has existed for centuries and is legally recognised in some countries.

Samoan Pacific Islands.

Fa'afafine are people assigned male at birth who embody both masculine and feminine traits.

How sexuality is viewed across different cultures, including: Ancient Greece and Rome, same-sex relationships were common and often celebrated, especially between men.

Africa, varies by region, often pre-colonial societies often had diverse views on sexuality.

Many accepted queer identities, though colonial laws criminalised them.

Middle East and North Africa, often conservative with same-sex relationships seen as taboo or illegal.

East Asia, traditional art and literature often showed fluid views of gender and sexuality, but modern attitudes became more conservative due to outside influences.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Sexuality is a personal part of who you are and can change over time.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"People's feelings and attractions can develop or shift as they learn more about themselves." What themes or concepts might this artwork be exploring? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

Art is a powerful way to explore identity.

Artists often use their work to express who they are, how they see the world, and how they've been shaped by their community's culture or challenges they've faced.

Many artists challenge gender stereotypes within their artwork, including: Claude Cahun, whose project "I am in Training, Kiss Me" challenged traditional gender norms through self-portraits.

Robert Mapplethorpe, who explored gender in his art, particularly through self-portraits.

In his piece, "Self-Portrait," 1980, he presents himself with heavy makeup, challenging traditional notions of masculinity and playing with androgyny and identity.

Teresa Margolles is a conceptual artist, photographer, videographer, and performance artist who explores social causes.

Her work often addresses themes of violence, loss, and marginalisation.

For example, "Mil Veces un Instante" features hundreds of face masks contributed by trans and non-binary people to honour lives lost to violence.

Yishay Garbasz is an artist who works in photography, performance, and installation.

Her project "Becoming" documents her gender-affirming journey through a series of mirrored photographic self portraits, exploring identity, transformation, and visibility.

Clothing is one of the ways people express their gender identity.

There's no fixed rule: fashion and gender expression are shaped by culture, tradition, and personal choice.

Television, family, school, and fashion are often how we learn about gender stereotypes.

Can you think of any gender stereotypes that relate to fashion? Pause here and share about this.

Thanks for sharing.

In the 1600s and 1700s, it was common for wealthy European men to wear powdered wigs and high heels as symbols of status, fashion, and power.

These fashion styles challenge today's ideas about what is masculine.

Across history and cultures, men have worn dresses, tunics, or robe-like garments.

Examples include Polynesian lavalavas, Indian kurtas, Afghan perahan tunban, and Scottish kilts, showing that clothing styles are shaped by tradition, not fixed ideas of gender.

When someone plays with gender through clothes, makeup, and behaviour, it's known as performing gender.

One powerful way people play with and perform gender is through drag.

Drag performance has roots in ancient theatre and performance traditions where actors often explore different gender roles on stage.

Over time, it has evolved through many cultural shifts developing into a vibrant and diverse modern art form that celebrates creativity, identity, and self-expression.

Drag culture has a rich history where performers have used costume, character, and creativity to challenge gender norms, including: in Ancient Greece and during the Elizabethan era, men often played female roles due to restrictions on women's participation in theatre.

The period from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s saw a surge in LGBTQ+ visibility with drag performers gaining popularity in underground clubs in Berlin, Paris, and New York.

The ballroom scene, particularly prominent in the African American and Latinx communities, has been a vital space for drag performance with its own unique voguing style and cultural significance.

Several artists draw direct inspiration from drag culture, including: Mickaline Thomas creates rhinestone-studded portraits of powerful Black women that echo drag's glamour, staging, and confidence.

Pierre et Giles whose work blends camp, drag, fashion, and religious iconography, often featuring drag performers and queer figures.

Rashaad Newsome blends voguing, ballroom culture, and digital collage into his artwork.

There are many existing symbols to represent gender and sexuality, including the rainbow, LGBTQ+ inclusivity, male and female symbols, and a symbol for transgender.

The Greek letter lambda has been adopted as a symbol to represent gay liberation and is used widely in the LGBTQ+ community.

Some bisexuals object to the use of a pink triangle in the biangle symbol of bisexuality, blue and pink triangle overlapping, as it was a symbol linked to Adolf Hitler's persecution of homosexuals.

A double crescent moon was designed by German Vivian Wagner in 1998.

Andeep and Laura are discussing ideas for developing their own symbol to represent inclusion.

"I might try interlocking shapes like triangles, circles, and hexagons to symbolise connection between identities." "Maybe I could adapt the infinity symbol to contain inclusive imagery within.

I could also customise a spiral so that it has several hands to represent different identities." Love these ideas.

Check for understanding.

True or false? There is only one recognised symbol to represent gender and sexuality.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"There are many existing symbols to represent gender and sexuality, including the rainbow and the Greek letter lambda amongst others." There are many ways that you could create a symbol to represent inclusion.

For the next part of the lesson, you will need: pencil, paper, eraser, and ruler.

Pause here while you gather everything you need.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to create a symbol to represent inclusion.

You might: consider interlocking shapes like triangles, circles, and hexagons to symbolise connection between identities.

Adapt an existing symbol to represent inclusion.

Combine unexpected imagery to represent inclusion.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

Good to be back with you.

How did you get on? Here's Jacob.

"I made a circle which has a heart growing in the centre.

I think this design represents inclusivity as the circle surrounds the heart." And Sam, "I made a symbol using geometric shapes, which are often considered to be masculine, and including a triangle which can be a symbol for homosexuality.

I wrapped a heart shape around them, often considered a feminine shape, to show inclusive love." And Sophia, "I've drawn an open door to show that all are welcome and to symbolise being welcoming to all identities." Oh my.

I love this.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle, create a repeat pattern to symbolise inclusion.

What is a pattern? Pause here and share with someone.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"A pattern is a repeated design or motif.

It can be regular, irregular, symmetrical, or random." Patterns in nature appear all around us from spiralling shells to animal markings, showing how repetition, symmetry, and variation are part of the natural world.

Patterns are often used to decorate, communicate ideas, or reflect culture and identity.

Check for understanding.

What is a pattern? A, a one-time drawing.

B, a repeated design or shape.

Or C, a random scribble.

Pause here while you decide.

Well done if you selected answer B.

A pattern is a repeated design or shape.

Patterns have long been associated with gendered values in art and design.

In many Western art traditions, pattern and decoration were historically seen as feminine or domestic, in contrast to the masculine ideals of fine art, like painting and sculpture.

This division wasn't about materials or techniques.

It was about who was expected to make what and whose work was considered serious or valuable.

Textile work, embroidery, quilting, and pattern-making were often classified as women's work linked to the private domestic sphere.

Patterns are gendered in many non-Western cultures, but in ways that vary widely depending on local traditions, roles, and beliefs.

In traditional Quechua and Aymara weaving, specific geometric motifs are often gender coded.

Men and women wear different patterns in ponchos, skirts, polleras, and belts, chumpis, sometimes reflecting the weaver's gender or the wearers role.

In regions like India, Indonesia, and Thailand textiles and patterns often carry gendered functions, especially in rituals or ceremonies.

Batik in Indonesia includes motifs traditionally worn by women like flowers or vines and others by men like parang, a blade-like design.

Throughout history, queer artists and communities have turned to symbolic and decorative imagery, especially pattern, as a powerful tool for self-expression, resistance, and connection.

In times and places where openly expressing queer identity was dangerous or forbidden, artists used repetition, pattern, and coded symbols to embed meaning in ways that could be seen by those in the know while evading censorship.

Laura and Andeep are discussing coded language in decorative art.

"I was interested to learn about Aubrey Beardsley's work "The Peacock Skirt." The peacock is a symbol often associated with vanity and beauty, and also had queer associations in Victorian symbolism." And Andeep, "Yes, Beardsley's whole style became a secret way to express queerness and non-conformity in a society that didn't allow it openly." Many artists take inspiration from their identity to make patterns.

Jeffrey Gibson blends Indigenous patterns with contemporary slogans and symbols about gender, queerness, and resistance.

Yee I-Lann collaborates with Indigenous weavers in Sabah, creating textiles that challenge how gender roles and cultural labour are valued.

Christopher Kane challenges ideas of femininity and masculinity through unexpected materials and gender-subversive patterns.

Rosemarie Trockel uses machine-knitted patterns, once dismissed as women's work, and often inserting coded symbols about femininity and identity.

Patterns weren't always gendered.

Over time, social, economic, and cultural forces shaped our ideas, including: floral and curvy patterns, often associated with femininity, softness, and delicacy.

Geometric and bold patterns, often linked to masculinity, strength, and order.

Examples include stripes, checks, or angular shapes.

Some artists and designers mix patterns linked to men and women to challenge gender stereotypes.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Patterns like florals are only for girls and geometric shapes are only for boys.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I would like you to say a little more about your answer.

Perhaps you said something like this.

"Patterns don't belong to any one gender and artists often mix them to break stereotypes." Many design jobs involve creating or working with patterns, including: textile/fashion designer: creates fabric patterns for clothing, accessories, and interiors.

Graphic designer: designs digital patterns for branding, packaging, or websites.

Surface pattern designer: specialises in creating repeat patterns for products like wallpaper, stationary, and wrapping paper.

And ceramicist: makes repeated patterns in clay tiles using stamps or carving tools.

For the next part of the lesson, you will need: the symbol you designed in Task A, pencil, eraser, tracing paper, a soft pencil, 6B, and a glue stick.

Pause here while you gather everything you need.

I'll see you when you have everything.

There are many ways you can make a repeat pattern.

You could draw the symbol in a square and label A, B, C, D.

Draw another square at least two centimetres larger.

Cut the small squares out and swap A with D and B with C, ensuring they're the correct way up.

Glue in position.

Fill the negative space with the design of your choice.

You could redraw the original symbol or add something new.

Ensure that the new part of your design does not reach the outer edges of the large square.

Here's Sam, "I repeated my original design in the space and added geometric shapes.

The heart links them all together.

My symbol represents inclusion through the interlocking of shapes." Love that thinking.

Here are some other ways you could make a repeat pattern.

You could trace the design, draw the design in the top-left corner.

Repeat three more times, ensuring the pattern aligns.

You could add colour to your repeat pattern.

Here's Sam, "I chose to add rainbow colours to my design, which symbolise inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community.

I used pencil crayons to add colour.

I used paint on this photocopy of the design also using rainbow colours.

I think I prefer the pink design." You can edit the pattern digitally.

You might experiment with using different surfaces for your design.

This design has been printed onto brown paper to make gift wrap.

Love that.

Check for understanding.

Fill in the missing step for creating a repeat pattern.

A, trace the design.

B, draw the design in the top-left corner.

C, pause here while you fill in the missing step.

C, repeat ensuring the pattern aligns.

And now it's time for your task.

Make a repeat pattern to symbolise inclusion.

So first of all, trace the symbol designed in Task A.

Draw out the traced pattern ensuring the joins are aligned.

Add colour using paint, pencil, crayon, or edit digitally.

Pause here while you have a go at this task.

How did you get on? Here's Alex.

"For my symbol from Task A, I chose a simple figure.

Within it, I drew a spiral to represent continuous movement, showing how people can change.

A spiral is a curved shape, so I balanced it with a triangle.

I created a repeat pattern by balancing the figure across the page.

I added contrasting shades and block colours.

I purposely chose colours that are not traditionally associated with any particular gender." I love your thinking there, Alex.

In our lesson, Gender and sexuality in art, we've covered the following: Learning about gender and sexuality in art helps us understand different perspectives and challenge stereotypes.

It encourages empathy, self-expression, and shows how art can be a powerful tool for social change.

Learning how to make a repeat pattern gives students a creative way to express ideas about identity, gender, and sexuality.

By designing and repeating symbols, shapes, or colours, we can explore how visual elements carry meaning and can challenge stereotypes.

Well done everyone for engaging with this lesson.

It was great to explore gender, sexuality, stereotypes together, and then finding your own way of celebrating identity and inclusivity by creating your repeat pattern.

I hope you've enjoyed this lesson.

I really have.

And keep taking very good care of yourselves and all others and keep opening that door and making sure everyone is welcome.

I'll see you with another lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.