We’re Going To Need A Bigger Brush is the new exhibition from Shadowlight Supported Studio’s which is a powerful celebration of identity, creativity and community, this group exhibition showcases artwork and film by learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists.
Everyone is invited to the opening of the exhibition at Modern Art Oxford on Thursday, 22nd January 2026, 6.30 pm onwards. The museum Café will be open.
The exhibition then continues 23 January – 22 March 2026 Free, no booking required (Tuesdays to Sundays).
Since April 2025, the group has met weekly to shape the direction of their studio, define shared goals, and co-create artworks in a lively, supportive environment. They have also collaborated with professional artists including Chris Oakley, Poppy Johnson-Doherty and Su Frizzell.
Working across photography, film, costume, mask-making, printmaking, prop-making, and drawing, the group explore themes of identity, transformation, and self-representation. Their work embraces alternate personas, reimagined characters and personal narratives, drawing on everything from classic movie posters to everyday materials transformed into costumes and sets.
The exhibition title humorously plays on the famous quote from the film Jaws, “you’re going to need a bigger boat!”, reflecting the size of this creative task.
The group is supported by and based at Film Oxford, a creative arts charity that works with communities in Oxfordshire. The Shadowlight Artists, a group of learning-disabled artists, was formed at Film Oxford in 2009. The group decided to adopt the international Supported Studios model in 2025.
The Supported Studio movement connects learning-disabled artists with galleries, curators, freelancers, festivals, and cultural organisations. This pilot project at Film Oxford will be the first of its kind in Oxfordshire and nearby counties, offering learning-disabled individuals a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary visual arts.
