Essex Pride 2024

Written By Hayley Wells
A window painting by illustrator Hayley Wells at Toni & Guy Chelmsford. The Essex Pride 2024 design includes diverse characters from the LGBTQ+ community, each coloured to represent the Pride rainbow. The characters are having their hair cut.

To coincide with Essex Pride 2024, I was commissioned by Chelmsford For You to create a window painting that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. As my design was going to be installed in the window of Toni & Guy, I wanted to highlight the importance of hair in gender identity and as a queer signifier. So I created a series of characters in salon chairs, each representing a different part of the Pride progress flag. I also threw in a few references to local drag artists, and my own personal queer icons.

Would you like a window like this for your small business? Get in touch and I’ll be happy to discuss ideas and rates.

A close up of four characters from the Essex Pride 2024 window by Hayley Wells. The diverse characters include Dana Scully, a blond bear, local drag queen Kenzie Blackheart and a young bisexual man.
A window painting by illustrator Hayley Wells at Toni & Guy Chelmsford. The Essex Pride 2024 design includes diverse characters from the LGBTQ+ community, each coloured to represent the Pride rainbow. The characters are having their hair cut.

And if you missed it on my Instagram, here’s a reminder of my 2023 Pride window at Lush Chelmsford. I absolutely loved working on these as they bring so much colour and joy to the city centre!

A window painting for Essex Pride 2023 by Hayley Wells at Lush Chelmsford. The illustration shows a diverse trio of characters in a queer punk band. They are wearing the colours of the trans flag, while the stage lights are the colours of the rainbow
Hayley Wells
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