Artist Paints Portraits of Queer Nazi Victims
The Pink Triangle Portraits project seeks to honor individuals targeted for their sexuality during the Holocaust.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in LGBTQ+
Artist Bry Sharland is creating painted portraits of queer victims of the Nazi regime to reclaim their stories and celebrate their lives. The ongoing project aims to document individuals historically marginalized during the era, ensuring their identities remain part of the public record.
Why it matters
The project serves to remove posthumous shame and highlight the queer joy of victims who were persecuted for their identities. Sharland intends to educate the public on this specific history to prevent the repetition of past injustices.
Bry Sharland has completed 65 portraits to date as part of the Pink Triangle Portraits initiative. The artist estimates that there are up to 700 potential subjects remaining to be researched and painted.
The players
Bry Sharland
An artist who launched the Pink Triangle Portraits project to honor victims of the Nazi regime.
Walter Arlen
A survivor who lived to be 103 and featured in the documentary El Dorado.
Gad Beck
A survivor who served in the Jewish underground resistance and lived in New York City.
The details
Sharland conducts extensive research through Holocaust museums, historical texts, and interviews with relatives to inform each work. The artist colorizes black and white archival photographs to bring a humanizing, contemporary lens to the individuals depicted.
Timeline
1939: Walter Arlen fled to the United States.
2023: Walter Arlen died at age 103 and participated in the documentary El Dorado.
October 2026: The project was documented in an article.
Culture Shift
This project reflects a broader societal movement to reclaim and preserve the histories of marginalized groups through personal, art-based storytelling. It moves beyond standard historical narratives to center the individual humanity of those targeted during the persecution of queer individuals during the Holocaust.
The public can engage with the project through ongoing educational talks and physical exhibits held in the United States. These events offer viewers a way to connect with queer history through individual life stories rather than abstract figures.
The takeaway
By focusing on individual biographies, this art project transforms historical data into a narrative of personal recognition. Readers can support this history by exploring local archival projects that preserve the personal stories of marginalized groups.
Further reading
For more information on current initiatives, visit the LGBTQ+ section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LGBTQ Nation.
