The Sticky and the Sublime

5th August - 11th August 2026

Joseph Wales Studios

Solo show of artist Rory Draper at Joseph Wales Studio in Margate

Open 11am - 4pm (Margate Pride day of 8th August open from 10 am - 2pm)

Private view 7th August 6pm - 9pm

Draper, an Irish artist living in Margate since April 2025, explores queer spaces and desire through painting. While his previous work often centred on the figure, this new body of work removes it entirely.

For several years, Draper has focused on cruising spaces - public sites where queer intimacy takes place - which have provided him with a sense of grounding and release. After moving to Margate, he sought out these locations but often found them empty. Rather than imagining the bodies that might inhabit them, he now turns his attention to the spaces themselves.

The paintings linger on traces and clues: discarded objects, marks in the landscape, and subtle signs of desire. Draper adds his own interventions, weaving personal longing into these environments and amplifying the narratives embedded within them. The works guide viewers through places where beauty and neglect coexist, where stained sand and intimate detritus sit alongside the sublime presence of nature.

Click here to find out more about Joseph Wales Studios

Tickets and Pricing

Free

Location

Open Map

Address

The Sticky and the Sublime Joseph Wales Studios, 2a Dane Hill, Margate
CT9 1QP

Contact

josephwalesstudios@gmail.com 07971 621811

Links

Website