Skip To Main Content
Grand Union
What’s on
Text in shades of orange and pink reads ‘Languages of Intimacy, Bella Milroy and Khairani Barokka.
A brown, paper envelope, with a hand-drawn charcoal illustration on the reverse, depicting a cat feeding from a bowl. Beneath, in humanist script reads, ‘Violence in the form of stationery.
Text in shades of orange and pink reads ‘Languages of Intimacy, Bella Milroy and Khairani Barokka.

Artwork by Keith Dodds, 2025.

A brown, paper envelope, with a hand-drawn charcoal illustration on the reverse, depicting a cat feeding from a bowl. Beneath, in humanist script reads, ‘Violence in the form of stationery.

Artwork by Bella Milroy, 2018.

‘[Molekuler] PAPER MONEY’, Khairani Barokka, digital collage on photographic print, commissioned by Wellcome Collection, 2021.

Bella Milroy and Khairani BarokkaLanguages of Intimacy

Birmingham School of Art16 October 2025 – 27 November 2026

‘Languages of Intimacy’ is the first large-scale exhibition of visual work in the UK by British artist Bella Milroy and Indonesian artist Khairani Barokka launching at Birmingham School of Art on 16 October, 5pm-8pm. Through the exhibition, the artists will explore interiority and play from two distinct sick-disabled perspectives, exploring the potential of illness and disability to facilitate intimacy in powerful and life-affirming ways, responding to existing in a world that does not value the presence of disabled people.

The exhibition continues at Birmingham School of Art, Tuesday – Friday, 10am-5pm until Thursday, 27 November 2025.

Further details will be shared in the coming weeks including pre-show information, which will be updated as the show is installed.

‘Languages of Intimacy’ will take place alongside an expanded public programme in Autumn/Winter 2025 and is generously supported by Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Art Fund, The Elephant Trust, Shape Arts and DASH.

You can find out more about Bella’s practice via her website by clicking here →You can find out more about Khairani’s practice via her website by clicking here →You can find out more about Birmingham School of Art here →

We have created a full access guide for ‘languages of Intimacy’ which will be updated further when the exhibition is fully installed.

Download the access guide (PDF version) by clicking here →Download the access guide (Word doc. version) by clicking here →