On 3rd June 2019 from 4pm till 9pm, Dusty O Artist is having a preview of previously unexhibited, provocative and shocking works of his modern queer paintings, at The Houses of Parliament, at the invitation of MP Khalid Mahmood. This is a first of its kind exhibition, supported by Pride In London, ParliOUT & Davenports Brewery. at Jubilee Room at The Houses Of Parliament.
Dusty O was one of the most visible and popular faces on the London Club scene for 30 years. As a drag performer, DJ, writer, fashion muse for London College of Fashion and club, promoter - he carved out a glittering career which took him all over the world leading to numerous tv, magazine and stage appearances and the soubriquet “Queen of Soho”. Dusty ran his own legendary club night “Trannyshack” at Madame JoJo’s for over a decade and starred in London Live’s drag reality TV show “Drag Queen’s Of London”. He wrote over 300 acerbic and witty music columns for the biggest gay magazine in the country, QX magazine & hosted London Gay Pride’s main stage in Trafalgar Square numerous times. Throughout the noughties, Dusty also starred in Leicester Square Theatre’s annual filthy Pantomime “Dick” bringing in 5 star rave reviews.
3 years ago Dusty gave up performing and started painting. His works reveal a glimpse of his former life and mirror his wild eccentricity. It is dripping with contorted images of his own reality. A world of no gender and no judgement where the human being can be anything it wants. A world of total freedom. Dusty O’s work dismisses reality and conventions and turns ideas on their heads. It is an orgy of energy and colour. The passion leaps from the canvas and assaults the senses. Nothing is taboo!
“That Dusty O, she’s been quite a few things since departing Birmingham in the West Midlands and arriving in Lon-don. Club kid, drag queen, club host, DJ, Diva, Cage Rattler and now artist. You could say Dusty O has always been an artist. Her beautifully painted face airbrushed to perfection and dressed head to toe in Vivienne Westwood giv-ing the impression that she was perhaps a lady of secret wealth. Not so, Dusty has always grafted and created and it is no surprise that the now bearded Dusty has turned to art. Her work is autobio-graphical and drags you through a car-toon world of nightlife, drag queens, wannabes and the occasional pop icon. Flirting with religion, sexuality and chal-lenging PC concepts with a cheeky ir-reverence. It is bright, bold, sexually charged, psychedelic and unapologetic. " - Boy George