Michelle Baharier

A series of exhibitions celebrating disabled people's history and fight for accessible transport, The Last Taboo. Putting disabled people in the picture. 

'Filling in the Gaps'

 

Portrait Commission for London Transport Museum. Funded by Arts Council England

Filling in the Gaps is a national art project, by artist Michelle Baharier, commissioned by London Transport Museum and funded by Arts Council England.

 

The series brings together ten portraits of disability rights activists and TFL staff, whose campaigning has shaped access and inclusion within public transport in the UK.

 

Through portraiture and public presentation, the project highlights the history of the disabled people’s movement and places lived experience at the centre of conversations about accessibility.

 

Shown across a series of UK venues, the works will enter the London Transport Museum Collection in 2026, ensuring these stories are preserved as part of the nation’s transport and social history.

 

The project builds on an earlier portrait commission of disability activists by Disability Arts Online, continuing Baharier’s long-term engagement with disability history and lived experience. A selection of portraits from that initial commission will also enter the London Transport Museum Collection, alongside the Filling in the Gaps series.

Portrait of Chris, Acrylic on Canvas, Artist: Michelle Baharier

An acrylic portrait of a man named Chris, who is seated and smiling broadly. The portrait is painted in warm colours like yellow, orange and green. The sitter has light, short hair and is wearing a green collared shirt and dark trousers. His hands are clasped in front of him. He is seated on a patterned bench, likely in a public transport setting. Behind him, on an orange and dark background, are three stylised London Underground roundel logos in different sizes and colour combinations, one in white and red, one in white and orange, and one in red and white.

The Project - Filling in the Gaps

Each portrait is developed through conversation and observation, with Baharier working closely with sitters to reflect both their activism and individuality.

 

Symbolic elements are woven into the paintings to reflect personal histories and public impact, from references to the TfL logo and transport iconography, to more intimate details such as a fan in Sharon’s portrait.

 

These visual cues situate each figure within a wider social and political landscape while honouring their personal identity.

An acrylic painting features a portrait of a woman, Sharon, with long, wavy reddish-blonde hair and light-coloured eyes, smiling directly at the viewer. She is holding a pink fan with small orange and white floral patterns. She is wearing a teal-coloured top. In the background, on a dark surface, are two stylised London Underground roundel logos: one partially visible on the left and a larger one on the right, predominantly white with a red circle and a dark blue horizontal bar.

Exhbition Programme

 

More Than Art, Filling the Gaps is a

Call to Action

 

The exhibition programme tours a range of public, civic, and cultural venues, reflecting the project’s focus on access, visibility, and everyday lived experience. It began with an initial multi-day participatory presentation at Turf Projects, Croydon in December 2025. It is followed by the second exhibition at SHARP Gallery, London in February 202r, situated within a hospital setting.

 

The series will continue with a solo exhibition at Marylebone Parish Church in central London in March 2026, extending the conversation into a historic civic space, followed by an exhibitiong at the Tramshed, Greenwich in May-June 2026.

This is the portrait of Nick Saunders, who's been a disability campaigner for many years. I've known Nick for many years and I was honoured to paint him for the London Transport Museum because he was one of the pioneering people who fought for public transport to be accessible.

 

Let's not forget that public transport being accessible isn't just about disability.

 

It's also about a little child in a push chair or a pram, a mother with children, a father with children, a grandmother. It's about older people with their shopping trolleys and walking sticks.

 

I believe that campaigning to make transport accessible needs to be thought about widely.

The Concept . On Accessibility

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