last night a drag-queen saved my life

Papadatou’s figurative imagery is characterised by a prolific imagination, tantalising sensuality, and a remarkable ability to bring to life irreverent characters, whose physicality is a raw, yet poetic reminder of Egon Schiele’s genius and passion. Her punk energy, rooted in anarchic ancestors, linked directly to the vibe and values of Sink the Pink. Co-founder Glyn Fussell described their first meeting as ‘instant love’. Papadatou has magically connected two different worlds: Sink the Pink’s night clubbing, performance, transvestite world and her own, amazing raw, rocker art universe. Her highly empathic nature embraces and depicts the bodily feelings and nature of the collective’s queens, who freely posed for her during evenings spent together, holding nothing back. The intensity of the artist’s emotional connection with the collective produced mind-blowing results that capture the sensibility and very essence at the heart of this community: a strong sense of freedom based upon values of mutual respect, care and love, wild abandon, with a wink and a nudge and a heel deeply kicked into punk roots.

The show will include a guest object: Kaleidoscope. In the shape of a phallus, Kaleidoscope, an edition of 45 conceived by London-based Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE for The Multiple Store, which playfully explores gender stereotypes and power relations, will add pleasure to our valued guests. Through the opening of the head a distorted image of Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus can be seen, with the naked woman replaced by a photograph of a well-endowed naked man.

Straightola Studios, in the oozing, organic and dramatic style of artist Stephen McLaughlin had transformed the Sink The Pink portraits into wonderful kaleidoscopic patterns offering a mesmerising and hypnotic video projection.

Founded in East London in 2008 as an antidote to expensive soulless mega-clubs, Sink the Pink is London’s most exciting night, infamous for its colourful glittering party-goers whose positive vibes, vibrancy and aesthetics echo those of past revellers at iconic nights like BoomBox and Nag NagNag. Sink the Pink have been the late night main stage stars at Glastonbury, Lovebox, Latitude and Bestival providing unforgettable experiences for festival-goers.

Photos by Giulia Santori Conte and Jana Atherton-Chiellino