Zoë Law Legends,
National Portrait Gallery, London
Art direction, identity design, project communications
As part of Zoë Law’s major photography display Legends at the National Portrait Gallery, I worked closely with both the gallery team, exhibition designers at Ab Rogers Design and the artist to deliver a multi-layered, high-impact experience that celebrated both iconic and unsung heroes.
The brief was to create an exhibition spanning across two gallery spaces that not only presented the portrait series in a visually striking way, but also built a narrative around connection, representation, and the importance of recognising individuals who have shaped cultural life in both public and personal ways. This required a balance of sensitivity to the subjects, strong creative direction, and close collaboration with the Gallery’s curatorial, production teams and client.
Display images by Neil Speakman
My role spanned art direction, design, production, and curatorial support. I shaped the display identity, ensuring the tone and visual language reflected the intimacy of the portraits.
A key element of the display was the commissioning and creative direction of the motion design for a digital screen installation. The screen provided an animated focal point to the display and connected the two displays. Regular site visits and production meetings ensured the alignment of artistic vision with technical delivery.
Alongside the physical exhibition, I directed the design of the dedicated Legends website and designed & produced the official catalogue, which presented the complete portrait series in print and was sold in the NPG gallery shop.
Image: Legends catalogue
Display images by Neil Speakman
After the launch I was invited to collaborate with the Gallery’s schools programme to design and deliver two photography workshops and presentations on the display and my own practice.
These sessions introduced the visiting students to the themes of creativity, identity, and community, encouraging them to explore portraiture through photography as a way of telling their own stories.
Image credit Tanya Harris
“Drawing on relationships in their own schools and communities, these young photographers crafted images that turn the focus onto the people that inspire them the most”
— National Portrait Gallery
The display recorded high numbers of visitors and interaction with visiting schools as part of the NPG School's hub.
The works expanded not only to the in-house workshops but to Schools’ outreach, where the NPG team used the themes of Legends as a launching point for the students to think about their own work.
This resulted in a final display called “Through my lens” where the students involved with the programme had the unique opportunity to have their photography work displayed in the gallery.
Images of the schools display