Our Stories: Chinese Queer Artists in Amsterdam

From 4 to 6 August 2026, Domo – Home for International Cultural Collaboration will present Our Stories: Chinese Queer Artists in Amsterdam, a unique exhibition bringing together the work of three contemporary Chinese queer artists during WorldPride Amsterdam 2026. 

Our Stories brings together painting, photography, and installation-based works, offering intimate and situated perspectives on lived experiences that are rarely visible in public cultural spaces.

Why now?
Presented in the context of World Pride and the Human Rights Conference, Our Stories seeks to create a space for artistic expression, cultural exchange, and dialogue around dignity, diversity, and inclusion. At a time when public visibility for LGBTI+ communities in China has become increasingly constrained, the exhibition reflects on the role of art as a means of preserving personal narratives, sustaining connection, and affirming presence across borders.

What can you expect?
The exhibition features works by Wang Zibai, Luping Walnut, and Shawn Zhang. Through their distinct artistic practices, the three artists present fragments of experience shaped by love, vulnerability, care, memory, and collective visibility. Rather than attempting to represent a singular narrative, Our Stories offers a nuanced and human-centered encounter with contemporary Chinese queer artistic practices.

The exhibition opens with an invitation-only reception on Monday 3 August and will be open to the public from 4 - 6 August, daily between 13:00 and 17:00.

Organizing a publicly visible queer-themed exhibition in China today is virtually impossible. Strict censorship, administrative barriers, and political pressure make such exhibitions unthinkable within the country. In this context, the very act of presenting Our Stories in Amsterdam becomes a meaningful gesture of articulation and presence - not speaking about China from a distance, but allowing voices and experiences shaped under constraint to be seen and heard in a space where visibility is still possible.

This event is a collaboration between the China Rainbow Collective Foundation (CRCF), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing, the City of Amsterdam, Domo – Home for International Cultural Collaboration, and DutchCulture.

Domo – Home for International Cultural Collaboration is a shared cultural hub in Amsterdam dedicated to international cultural exchange, dialogue and collaboration. It is a joint initiative of DutchCulture, the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Cultural Emergency Response (CER) and the Prince Claus Fund.

Located in the heart of Amsterdam, Domo brings together artists, cultural professionals, researchers and policymakers from around the world. Through exhibitions, public programmes, residencies, dialogues and collaborative projects, Domo creates space for international perspectives and fosters connections across cultures, disciplines and borders.