Icons & Idols: Women who Define and Defy Gay Pop Culture, featuring a selection of drawings by New York-based illustrator Justin T. Russo, is a celebration of the female celebrities who have shaped queer identity throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Whether worshipped for their influence on contemporary culture by virtue of their talents, their individual tenacity, or their alliance with the LGBTQ+ community, these women have each left their impactful mark on history. This exhibition acts as an homage to the enduring legacies of these groundbreaking icons.

The show encompasses 56 drawings by Russo, whose Russo’s work explores queer identity and history by reexamining the past and present through a queer lens. Icons & Idols stems from the artist’s passion and admiration for those who have helped shape both his own and the LGBTQ+ population’s identity, for gay men in particular. The women included in the show were selected due to their personal influence on the artist, as well as on society at large.

As stated above, each star has played a pivotal role in the evolution of gay culture due to their fight for equal rights (such as Elizabeth Taylor, Mae West, and Dolly Parton), their own strengths or experiences being mirrored or commemorated by the community (including Tina Turner and Judy Garland), or simply due to their identification with queer people (Madonna and Cher).

Each drawing was created using ink, gouache, and tape. The figures are drawn in black and white, with the washi tape utilized to add color and dimension as a way of delineating and enhancing of the intrinsic power of each woman. The body of work was created over the course of one month in 2023 as the artist sought to capture the authenticity of his subjects through physical likeness and emotional connection. Russo aimed to harness the subjects’ portrayal through his artistic process.