Kevin Sabo is a Richmond-based painter renowned for his multi-media approach, incorporating acrylic, ink, spray, and collage. His work is characterised by exaggerated proportions and bold fashion elements, often juxtaposing corporate masculinity with playful and dominant feminine figures. In his new exhibition, Louche, he delves further into these gendered contrasts with more texture in his works and a tongue-in-cheek narrative across them all.
The works in Louche have a very distinct style. When did this begin to develop in your practice?
I took a few months break from painting this winter before starting the work for “Louche.” When it was time to get back in the saddle, I knew I wanted to try something new. Using very minimal graphite on top of acrylic in my previous bodies of work, I wondered how I could get much bolder with the material. Immediately after my first heavy-graphite tester piece in late January, I knew I was onto something.
How do you create your “female” characters compared to your male ones?
The intention behind the two is different, narratively speaking. I have fun giving these femme characters some superhuman powers and abilities, like transforming a man into a chair for her sitting needs, or becoming larger than life and accidentally stepping on a business CEO with her heel. In real life, the power dynamics when it comes to human rights are quite the opposite of what I’m portraying. I guess this is my tongue-in-cheek way of advocating for women and queer people.
Your 2024 works often used sharper lines and cleaner borders. What inspired you to move into a more textured, almost ‘scratchy’, style?
Naturally, I have a very loose, free hand at my linework and sketches. Over the years, I must have I assumed that tightening up my work would be the “refinement” it would need to get better. Ultimately, I wanted to have more fun again!
Are any of your characters inspired by real people you know, or see?
I’d say they’re both an amalgamation of things I’ve ingested in media and culture. The feminine forms are of course inspired by the over-the-topness of drag, but also the unsung heroes popularly referred to as “dumb blondes” when I was growing up in the early aughts. My fascination with bimbo-ology has stuck around to form this unlikely heroine character. The men were birthed out of needing an antagonist to the story. Someone for the girlies to step on and overcome. I draw inspiration from Wall Street dudes from the 60s-80s. This combo of characterizations feels endless with how I can play with interactions.
How would you say the queer community influences your works, such as Portrait of a Drag Queen?
Queer people have taught me how to resist normalcy. My defiance as an artist comes from the tenacity of queer people and women who are electric.
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