The Cult of Beauty exhibition examines beauty standards across history

UK – While beauty is subjective, it is also deeply ingrained in society. The Cult of Beauty exhibition explores notions of beauty across time and cultures – questioning the established norms and reflecting on more inclusive definitions of beauty for the future.

Opened on 26 October at London’s Wellcome Collection, the free exhibition features more than 200 objects and artworks curated by Janice Li around three themes: The Ideals of Beauty, The Industry of Beauty and Subverting Beauty. Historical objects such as corsets and combs for textured hair invite visitors to reflect on beauty canons and their impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. They also portray cultural traditions and celebrate beauty trailblazers.

‘The Cult of Beauty is an invitation to widen and complicate our understanding of beauty beyond the binaries of beautiful or ugly, natural or artificial, physical or digital,’ explains Li. ‘It is a space that allows for multiple polarities, seeing beauty at both ends and everywhere in between.’

In our Beauty section, we are tracking how beauty narratives are evolving and impacting industry trends and consumer behaviour.