Paul Harfleet is currently seeking locations to plant pansies at sites of homophobia and transphobia in Birmingham, in association with Shout Queer Arts & Culture.
Since founding The Pansy Project in 2005, artist Paul Harfleet has been planting pansies at sites of homophobic and transphobic abuse. Each flower is documented, titled after the words of the abuse, and added to The Pansy Project Website. This quiet yet powerful act gently confronts hate crime and brings visibility to LGBTQ+ experiences that often go unreported. His photographs have been exhibited internationally in various contexts. To date, Harfleet has planted more than 300 individual pansies around the world, from London to New York and beyond.
The pansy plantings remain the core of The Pansy Project, though Harfleet has created other ways of sharing the story of The Pansy Project over the years, from eco-friendly merchandise, to a jewellery collaboration with Tatty Devine. In 2010 Paul collaborated with his brother Tom to create a gold medal winning Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. In 2015 he was the subject of a feature length documentary; Les Pensées de Paul. In 2017 he wrote and illustrated ‘Pansy Boy, a children’s picture book that was short-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. In 2022 The Pansy Project was showcased by Cheddar Gorgeous on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, highlighting The Pansy Project to a global audience. Since 2005 The Pansy Project has featured in many publications and on screen below you can explore further reading and listening to delve deeper into the origins and evolution of The Pansy Project.