I Wish You Were Queer explores what it means to navigate queer identity in a city that sells itself as progressive—yet continues to fail its LGBTQ+ residents. Set in London, a so-called global metropolis, the project interrogates rising hate crimes and asks: What does belonging look like when safety is still a myth? By 2022, hate crimes based on sexual orientation in England and Wales had surged by 41%, and anti-trans offenses had more than doubled—reaching an all-time high. These figures, released by the Home Office and cited by Gay Times, paint a stark picture. Despite the visibility of Pride parades and queer nightlife, these statistics remind us: visibility doesn't equal safety. This body of work blends performance, film, printmaking, and sound to uncover the everyday violence queer people endure in a city that markets itself as inclusive. Linocut prints are stamped onto used makeup remover wipes—ephemeral traces of transformation and labor—while audio recordings capture queer individuals recounting their journeys home, layered with ambient sounds from LGBTQ+ venues. A drag queen removes their makeup on camera—unveiling not just skin, but vulnerability, exhaustion, and resilience. I Wish You Were Queer is both protest and portrait. It exposes the contradiction of being told you’re safe while living in fear. It brings data to life through bodies, voices, and lived experience—asking the viewer not just to witness, but to feel the disconnect between the myth of queer acceptance and the reality on the ground. This is not a history project. It’s a mirror held up to now.