KATES-FERRI PROJECTS is pleased to present Kevin Sabo’s second solo exhibition at the gallery, titled Cosmopolitini, from Friday, September 18 to Saturday, October 31, 2026, with the reception taking place Friday, September 18, 6-8pm.
Setting his newest series of paintings and ceramics in the glorious New York City, Sabo finally answers what many have asked about his ladies in drag: where are they from? The artist admits that upon realizing their birthplace, it made complete sense: these striking beauties are femmes of Gotham.
Sabo’s contextualization of his cosmopolitan ladies is not the only evolution in his latest works. Infusing his brand of Baroque pop and drag cabaret with Cubist, Brutalist, and German Expressionist intonations and color palette, his paintings enter a more grounded era of his ever-evolving style [the artist jokes that it comes with his own aging): “Thematically, they are an intersection between doom culture and pop expression. The neutral and gray tones desaturate my usual colorful signature style. It is perhaps an acceptance of the dystopian American dream, while cusping on a blissful possibility.” The consistent exaggerated figure and playful cityscape are contrasted against the solemn palette, making the specific and intentional use of color especially draw the eye.
Sabo introduces willow charcoal to this body of work to further signal the darker shift. Looking oil-like, the traditional drawing material allows the painter to work quickly and instinctively. Entering a flow state during creation, he embraces the messy and the tactility of the medium. Harkening to old masters’ sketches and the wartime environs of the 1940s, the paintings are no less alluring or powerful than his earlier, more vibrant works.
The perfect example of this new chapter in the artist’s practice is “Skyline Princess” (2026, 40 x 30 inch, acrylic and willow charcoal on canvas). A classic Sabo-queen straddles the top of two skyscrapers amid a mound of twisted surreal buildings. The dynamic position of her figure takes up the upper left of the painting with the city rising beneath her. The orange, brown, beige, and black tones draw attention to the distinct forms that arise from the artist’s mind without any reference to general imagery or AI assistance. In his effort to create his visual language, Sabo endeavors to establish an aesthetic free of explicit external influences. By engaging with uniqueness, he imparts a simple message: “We all have a right to express ourselves.” Something that contemporary society seems to regress from the rainbow revolution of the 1960s.
Through this new body of work, Sabo reimagines New York City as both stage and sanctuary, where his towering queens embody resilience amid uncertainty. The fractured architecture and subdued palette acknowledge a contemporary world marked by instability, yet the paintings never surrender to despair. Instead, they insist upon imagination as an act of resistance and drag as a celebration of self-determination. By rejecting borrowed imagery in favor of a wholly personal visual language, Sabo asserts the enduring power of originality, inviting viewers to envision a future where individuality, joy, and creative freedom remain not only possible but essential.
For “Comsopolitini” I’m pulling from many 20th century styles; fashion illustration, pop expressionism, drag, burlesque, goth cabaret, brutalist architechture, german expressionism, cubism, grotesque comedy & baroque pop.
I’m using these loose references to guide my own instinctive style. I lay down chaotic layers of acrylic paint and charcoal which is covered by a rolled-on layer of matte medium. I’m then finishing the works with more neurotic, flat planes of color in the negative space.
Thematically I chose the most iconic city in the world as inspiration- a twisted version of New York City. I had a major ah-ha moment when asking myself where the subjects in my figurative paintings inhabit. Natural settings never felt right. Instead, I began imagining what a skyline view would look like for my fabulous girls.
Kevin Sabo is a painter (b.1992) born in Virginia Beach, VA, and currently based in Richmond, VA. He trained and studied art throughout his youth and graduated with a BFA in Studio Art from James Madison University in 2015. Sabo has had successful solo exhibitions internationally, most notably New York City, Paris, Brussels, Miami and San Francisco. His work has been featured in publications like Architectural Digest and Metal Magazine.
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