About

Finn Dobson (b.1992) is a self-taught visual artist and poet based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Their work addresses themes of queer, trans, disabled embodiment, whilst noticing the nuances and interconnectedness of experiences. They enjoy using a mixture of methods and mediums with a focus on textiles, including inherited, found, and ‘waste’ materials.

Finn - a white non-binary person with a brown wavy mullet, glasses and facial piercings - is sat on a bench, looking over to the right. They are wearing a handmade crochet vest in light grey, a black long-sleeved top with a barbed wire motif running down the arms, and black pleather trousers. In the background are blossoming plants against a brick wall, a grass verge, and a pebbled pathway. The weather is sunny, and Finn's hair is blowing in the wind.

Inspired by the use of textiles within activism (such as union banners and the AIDS quilt), as well as by their love of language, their work often features text focused on marginalisation and solidarity; otherness and belonging. Finn is interested in the stories we tell, and what this reflects about our place within wider systems of power and relation – to each other and the world around us.

Their love of nature is informed by personal experiences of disability. Natural spaces act as a balm, and a place to unmask, whilst chronic illness has often limited their ability to interact with it, leading them to appreciate the way that ecosystems work together in similar ways to care networks. They are currently experimenting with eco-printing and natural dyeing techniques as ways of exploring their interests in nature, and how this mirrors and reflects their own life experiences.

Finn (a white androgynous person with long, wavy, dark brown hair, large circular clear glasses, and nose piercings) stands in front of two pieces of art on a white gallery wall. They are wearing a black leather jacket and have a large grin on their face that scrunches up their eyes. To their left, slightly obscured, is a painting of a woman with her head in her hands by Jenny Meehan. To Finn's right is one of their own artworks: an orange textile piece nailed to a block of wood. — _{A photo of Finn at ‘Fables’ exhibition with their work ‘Textures of Pain II’ to the right. To the left is a painting by Jenny Meehan.}

Research – particularly into traditional craft and social history – is often integral to Finn’s practice. This is carried through to their community work, where they have a passion for supporting marginalised communities and those facing barriers to participating in the arts. They facilitate workshops that foster community, explore creative wellbeing, and create safe environments for people to experiment with making.

Finn has a first-class BA in Theatre and Performance, a PG Diploma in Gender, Sexuality and the Body, and a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. After spending four years working in mental health services, they are pursuing creative opportunities and facilitation, and have exhibited in a number of group shows including the 2026 ‘Fables’ exhibition at The Mill Gallery, Leeds. In addition to their artistic practice and formal employment, Finn has a long record of volunteering with socially engaged organisations and movements. They work on crip time*, allowing space for ideas, mediums and methods to cross-pollinate, and for their bodymind to germinate at its own pace.

*developed by disabled communities and elaborated on by Alison Kafer (Feminist, Queer, Crip, 2013), this refers to the different relationship to time that people have due to their disabilities. It could refer to the amount of time a task takes, the way that time feels when living with disabilities, or the relationship we have to the past, present and future.

I am co-founder of Every Body Matters: a company launching later this year who are working towards ambitious inclusion, via accessibility consultancy, disability community support, and facilitated workshops and training.

Finn Dobson

About

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