ContentsCulture Magazine hosted a VIP party on Valentine’s Day to celebrate the opening of artist Maya Fuhr’s first US show titled COMPERSION at SADE Gallery, in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Her new body of work explores contemporary sex subcultures through an immersive world building exercise featuring photos of sex-positive and queer icons such as Mia Khalifa, Brooke Candy, Abella Danger, and Shea Couleé, intervened by aluminum and handmade latex, complemented alongside a carnal environment complete with sound, scent, and touch.
Slice
Intimacy
Twinkles, Push, My Birth
Brooke Candy, Ebhoni Mystique
Slit, Shea Coulee
Maya Fuhr + Studio Rat Collaboration Pony Tale
Brooke Candy, Ebhoni mystique, Two Torsos, Abella Danger
Mia Khalifa, Traces of Her, Brooke Candy
Core
Cling, Sentient Meat
VIP guests included actress Natasha Bassett in Oscar-nominated film Elvis and iconic drag superstar Valentina. The event was sponsored by JuneShine Hard Kombucha canned spirits. The party kicked off with an arousing performance by Dominatrix FIX which supported the compersion theme. Fashion-forward artists Mother Mary set the tone with an eclectic DJ set. They wore looks by Latitude and Busted, inspired by the party’s theme.
Artist duo Mother Mary getting ready to start their set wearing shibari inspired looks by Latitude and Busted.
Party playlist here.
The guests were invited to interact with one of the artworks by applying latex oil on pink surgical gloves in order to massage the art.
The full house of guests were further entertained by Séverine, where the DJ finished off the night igniting the dance floor and turning the gallery space into a pop-up rave, all captured by photographer Jason Renaud.
Ife Ajibola and Maya Fuhr
Emma Higgins and Maya Fuhr
Mistress Fix prepares her sub Sammie Veeler for the performance.
Fuhr’s technique serves as the sexual infrastructure that shapes the sculptures’ overall aesthetic. The artist preps the sculptures by first producing her own latex through an intense “edging” process, which starts with the repetitive layering of mold-making latex that is then whipped and rubbed onto sexually-charged photographs sourced from her professional photo archive. Once the latex has been applied to the image, Fuhr reaches her “climax,” peeling off several coats of handmade rubber to reveal superimposed images effortlessly etched onto the fresh exudate. This process gestures to the instinctive desires that inevitably inform the artist’s larger practice and the aurora of fetishism that is explicitly experienced throughout this exhibition.
Drag superstar Valentina stuns in a red look posing with Fuhr’s Brooke Candy piece.
Ife Ajibola puts her pink surgical gloves on to interact with one of the pieces.
Editor in Chief of Contents Culture Deborah Ferguson
Hadley Rosenbaum and Nick Das
Sinziana Velicescu and Andre Marchand
Zoe and Liam Russell Titcomb
Duy Tran and Guest
Emma Higgins
Ife Ajibola poses in front of Ebhoni Mystique
Nancy Norkeh and Sudani Tsunami
Alejandro Krispin and Jarina Demarco
Grey and Grayson Prince
Photography Jason Renaud
We’d like to thank SADE Gallery Los Angeles, JuneShine Hard Kombucha, Mother Mary, and Séverine.