AIDS: THE LOST VOICES
As an artist, performer, model, TV personality, club promoter, fashion designer, and musician, Leigh Bowery refused to be confined by conventional boundaries. Emerging from the vibrant nightlife of 1980s London, Bowery crafted a daring and provocative presence that extended from underground clubs to galleries, theatres, and the street. His radical approach redefined clothing and makeup as living art forms—painting and sculpture in motion—challenging traditional ideas of aesthetics, sexuality, and gender. Through his fearless self-expression and boundary-pushing performances, Bowery forged a vibrant path that continues to inspire, leaving a legacy that echoes in the works of visionary creators like Alexander McQueen, Jeffrey Gibson, Anohni, and Lady Gaga.
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The Observer 27 Sept 1992
Westminster & Pimlico News 8 Dec 1994
27 February 2025 - 31 August 2025
“A celebration of the boundary-pushing career of artist Leigh Bowery”
LEIGH BOWERY The Life and Times of an Icon
by Sue Tilley
Chronicled here with candid wit and affection, Leigh’s closest confidante Sue Tilley describes her best friend’s journey as a creative young gay kid growing up in the Melbourne suburbs who burst onto the vibrant London club scene of the 1980s and changed it forever. Brilliantly evoking the hedonistic energy of the city, Tilley’s personal account of her life with Leigh – their best mates, holidays, clubbing, drugs, outfits, flatmates and sex lives – paints a vivid picture of 80s pop culture through their friendship and love of a good time. She also offers irreverent anecdotes of the London art world, and particularly of Leigh’s close relationship with Lucian Freud, who painted Leigh many times from 1990 onwards; and concludes with a poignant and unsentimental recollection of Leigh’s final days in hospital.
Any third-party copyright material has been accessed through paid membership or incurred an administrative cost. Material has been used under the ‘fair use’ policy for the purpose of research, criticism and/or education, especially around the topic of HIV/AIDS. There has been no financial/commercial gain.
