iM PLEASED TO SAY i WILL BE DONATING MY ART WORK ‘SEX’ at the Terrence Higgins Trust annual Auction at Christies in London.
Terrence Higgins Trust are delighted to welcome you to The Auction 2024 taking place on Monday 31 March at Christie’s Auction House. The Auction is a night of luxury items, unique and fabulous experiences, and art from many incredible artists. The event to date has raised over £5.2 million, vital funds that allow us to deliver our mission and support people living with and affected by HIV.
The Auction 2025 includes over 70 contemporary artworks and experiences curated by the Terrence Higgins Trust Auction Committee and donated by an incredible community of patrons and supporters.
The donated items are spread across two auctions.
“I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy it hurts...” declared Right Said Fred in their pop
anthem hit of 1991, released during the height of the AIDS epidemic. This sentiment is
echoed in Paul Chisholm’s artwork, SEX, part of his series The Lost Children of
Paradise. The piece explores themes of empowerment and the triumph over stigma, both
past and present, while envisioning a brighter future—a world free from new HIV
diagnoses.
In his signature style, Chisholm delivers a work that is both poignant and unabashedly
“too sexy for its ‘Art’” (pun intended). The double entendre also alludes to antiretroviral
medication, underscoring the transformative power of medical advances. Glitter
embedded in the artwork serves as a luminous metaphor, highlighting the ongoing
challenges and progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The artist shares:
“Please bid generously for a charity close to my heart. Without their life-saving hotline, I
wouldn’t be here today.”
Paul Chisholm is a contemporary British artist whose work often reflects his personal
experience with an HIV diagnosis and addresses broader queer contemporary issues. His
recent exhibitions include the Phoenix Arts Space in Brighton, Personal Structures at the
Venice Biennale, and The Lightbox Museum in Woking. In 2023, he was nominated for
the Queer Britain Art Award. Chisholm studied at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL,
London, and Nottingham Trent University.