A major exhibition at the Wellcome Collection examined the complex meanings of beauty to different communities through time. The nuanced narrative was told through a vast range of over 200 objects including engravings, cosmetics, paintings, garments, historical and scientific artefacts, photography and sculpture. Four artist-led installations included Narcissister, Baum & Leahy, Xcessive Aesthetics and Permissible Beauty.

Through a year-long collaborative process we worked with curator Janice Li to develop the design of the exhibition. The visitor journey was orchestrated by an open and curvaceous spatial journey, in support of the curation's explorative nature. In the plan, overlapping arcs created shifting environments, moments and glimpses throughout the space. Fabric curtains suggested a safe and calm atmosphere to hold the complex and sometimes difficult content. In dialogue with this, highly textured sculptural plinths and showcases brought a sense of weight and pace.

Inspiration was drawn from various worlds of beauty, borrowing motifs from the Classical world, contemporary retail and digital spaces. Materials referred to the conflicting notions of beauty with particular thoughtfulness towards textures, hardness, softness and contrast. Bold colours such as deep red, lilac, pink and indigo helped to delineate different moods.

Further reflecting the non-static nature of beauty, graphic design by Wolfe Hall included a custom-designed variable typeface, holographic foils and iridescent title treatments that shift between colours.