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Image credit: Come As You Really Are, Hetain Patel, 2025. Produced by Artangel. Installation shots Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Photographer: Polly Thomas.
Are video games art? It’s a question that’s sparked many a debate, and for one cosplayer featured at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Wales, the answer seems to be a resounding yes.
Karoinna, who cosplayed as Spectre from Dota 2 at events including ESL One Birmingham last year, has seen her cosplay put on display as part of the ‘Come As You Really Are | Swansea Open 2025’ exhibition.
This exhibition is running from February 15th to April 27th 2025 and showcases ‘unique hand-crafted objects, with contributions from hobbyists including collectors, costume and cosplay makers, painters, crocheters and knitters, model makers, robotics engineers, origami specialists and many more’.
Devised by artist and Spider-Man enthusiast, Hetain Patel, and commissioned by Artangel, Come As You Really Are is made up of 13 regional presentations across the UK, and in Swansea, is combined with Glynn Vivian’s annual Swansea Open exhibition.
Karoinna’s Spectre cosplay has also been a part of a Hobby Fayre, where people could meet some of the artists, as well as chat and work alongside them, to learn more about their respective specialties.
Karoinna told Esports News UK: “I’ve always been passionate about art and costume making. During my Master’s in Art, I focused on creating costumes rooted in historical and cultural research, but I’ve also dreamed of bringing cosplay into gallery spaces.
“I believe the skill and creativity it takes to transform fantastical, often gravity-defying characters into reality is an art form in itself, deserving a wider audience. So when Glynn Vivian invited me to showcase my work in their current exhibition, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery of the City and County of Swansea, in Wales.
Karen MacKinnon, Curator at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, added: “We’re delighted to be a part of this nationwide project, Come As You Really Are, which celebrates the wealth of creativity and passion that the people put into their hobbies and pastimes.
“The exhibition is an opportunity to share the wonderful things that people make and includes costume and cosplay makers, painters, crocheters and knitters, model makers, robotics engineers, origami specialists and many more.”
There’s more about the Come As You Really Are | Swansea Open 2025 on the Glynn Vivan website.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
