Artemesia Gallery, Melbourne. 2025.

Solo exhibition: Polly’s Wig.

A tangle of memories. A 3am shadow. A hair left on a pillow. In a world of repression and lunacy, Polly's wig is a portal to another existence.

Polly’s Pyjamas, 2025.

Oil on linen. 60x30cms. Image by Chris Bowes.

Polly’s Wig. 2025.

Oil on linen. 60x30cms. Image by Chris Bowes.

3am Shadow, 2025.

Oil on linen. 30x24cms. Image by Chris Bowes.

Archival photographs of Ken aka Polly, circa 1980. Images by Hubert, reprinted for this show.

Polly, aka Ken, was a friend, a courageous queer artist, designer and model who defied social expecations to create diverse personas, inspiring and inspired. Polly lived and travelled regularly between Sydney, London and Tokyo. They died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1989. This exhibition is my homage to Polly and the lives he/she/they enriched.

Ken Cognito, 2025.

Found objects: wig, sunglasses, hat block, wooden column, black and white archival print. Image by Chris Bowes.

Polly modelling for Katie Pye, an Australian fashion label. Published in POL magazine July 1981.

Photographed by John Lethbridge.