“Their hard work and tireless dedication to their craft is without question. My work is a celebration of their courage and achievements and the wonderful community that exists here in London.”

Emma McEwen is a painter who lives and works in North East London, an area renowned for its vibrant Queer cabaret scene. Her paintings celebrate the colourful drag kings, drag queens and cabaret performers who are such an integral part of her home and life, not to mention the wonderful stories they tell.

Emma’s body of work accentuates an artistry very much focused on capturing the raw quality of her subjects, enabling their characters to shine, contrasting sharply with hyper-realistic fine-art styles. In her paintings, drawing and prints, one can expect to find a strong motivation to connect the audience with the subject and the subject with the world, enabling a universal resonance with her subject matter. She currently studies at the Heatherley School of Fine Art, and has sold and exhibited around London.

Kings, Queens and Cabaret is Emma’s latest show, a series of painted portraits of a menagerie of subjects proud of who they are and of their identities and places within the LGBTQI+ community and performing arts spaces of London’s diverse creative scene.

A free exhibition of original work, with proceeds from all sales going to the artist and funding public programmes in advancing and diversifying engagement in visual storytelling.