Kevin Sabo

Bio:

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. 

Artist Statement:

Sabo's practice is a profoundly personal journey of exploration into femininity, style, and containment. His figurative paintings explore the delicate balance between glamour and constraint, offering intimate reflections on identity, desire, and the pursuit of expressive freedom.

Sabo's inspiration stems from a lifelong fascination with femininity—the things that feel wonderfully stylized and delicious. Fashion, music videos, drag culture, interior design, hair, and makeup all drive his choices of form and distortion. His figures are not so much statements on womanhood as they are vessels of style and expression, inviting viewers to recognize these characters and expressions within themselves. The simple prompts he gives these figures extend that invitation; a mirror held outward. Their cartoonish qualities soften any potential intensity, as humor and joy remain deeply important to his practice, even as emotional intricacy always finds its way in.

Central to Sabo's technique is his alchemical approach to materials. He is drawn to the way graphite diffuses subjects when it interacts with matte medium, creating layers that sit over thin washes of saturated acrylic. Sabo will spend hours tightening the work, only to give it a final, spontaneous kiss with this washy, unpredictable effect—a push and pull between precision and surrender.

Solo Exhibitions:

2026

“In Rare Form” The Pit. Los Angeles. November 2026.

“Cosmopolitini” Kates-Ferri Projects. New York City. September

“Head Over Heels” Rhodes Contemporary. London, UK. April

2025

“Plastic Box” Katia David Rosenthal Gallery. Miami, FL. Oct

“Louche” Rhodes Contemporary. London, UK. April

2024

“Upper Crust” Edji Gallery. Brussels, Belgium. May

2022

“Fussy Fleur” Bim Bam Gallery, Paris, France. September

“….Closet”. Kates-Ferri Projects. New York City. June

Social:‍ ‍@kevin__sabo