Who Told You to be Small

Glasgow-based artist Beth Knight used nude self-portraits to overcome the shame she held about her body. She started small, painting herself in an unflattering light crying, and showing that painting to the world. Piece by piece, she put her loathing about her looks on blast, with each painting becoming larger and more intimate. It culminated in a pop-up gallery using wall-sized advertisement space in the London Underground, with her painted nude portrait standing 5 and a half meters tall for the world to see. She tackled the misogyny around the standards of beauty that kept her hiding her body for decades by diving into the fear with art and laughter. Beth received her Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In 2023, her paintings have gone on to be included in the Ruth Borchard Self- Portrait Prize exhibition and were in the pre-selections for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters competition. After launching her stand-up career in London last year, she’s performed in top comedy clubs, including The Billy Murray, Monkey Barrel, and The Stand. Now she’s blending her paintings and comedy into an hour show about her fight with internalized patriarchy.