The exhibition title - Stand Back For The Full Effect comes from a quote by Harvey Fierstein “I guess a drag queen’s like an oil painting: You gotta stand back from it to get the full effect.”

Emma McEwen, a painter lives and works in North East London, an area renowned for its vibrant Queer cabaret scene, In this exhibition she shows a series of oil paintings that portray the colourful drag kings, drag queens and cabaret artists who she has seen perform in The Glory (now The Divine). She also paints brightly coloured portraits and still lives.

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. Her use of colour aims to bring the characters and subject matter to life and provide a joyful visual experience.

She has studied at Cardiff and Birkbeck University and Heatherley School of Fine Art, and has sold and exhibited around London.

Stand Back for the Fulll Effect is Emma’s latest show; and it includes a series of portraits of a range 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."

Date 21st May – 1st July Monday – Sunday 8.30am – 6pm

The Gallery Café 21 Old Ford Road London E2 9PL