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“Spooky, cute and spiky” are the three words Vlad Von Kitsch would use to explain their aesthetic. It’s pretty spot on. The Grimsby-born, Brighton-based drag artist is fast carving out a reputation for themselves with their trademark gorelesque (a combination of gore and burlesque) beauty looks that mix his deep passion for horror movies, drag and alternative music. These looks have seen him win this 12 months’s Brighton Big Drag Pageant and have in a pride piece for British Vogue last 12 months.

Von Kitsch’s work draws from a wealthy collection of references, including movies, literature and folklore, in addition to traditional clown make-up and the corpse paint worn by the black metal artists they loved as a youngster. The result’s an eclectic series of sweet-but-scary looks that act as a very important type of therapy through self-expression.

“My performances often involve a number of fake blood, stripping and grotesque sexuality wrapped up in a physically comedic package,” describes Von Kitsch who says their art allows them to present commentary on their experiences with mental illness, sexuality and oppression – and to vent their trauma in a fun way. “I’m neurodivergent and might struggle to speak big feelings, so getting half naked and pulling my guts out sometimes says way greater than I could express with just words,” they are saying.

For Kitsch, beauty is the “freedom to be fabulously ugly,” a philosophy that underlies his hope that the sweetness industry will proceed to see more freedom of expression and embracing of flaws. Read on for a glimpse into Kitsch’s fantastical world, featuring their affinity to Frankenstein’s monster, their love for Grace Jones and the sweetness products of their dreams (a skin cream that could make boobs appear or disappear? We’re sold).

Are you able to tell us a bit about yourself?

Vlad Von Kitsch: I’m a Nigerian-British non-binary creative with a deep passion for horror movies, drag and alternative music. I grew up in tiny towns which all the time felt very restricting and hostile towards people like me, my hometown was extremely white and didn’t have much of a queer scene and even an alternate scene to talk of. Making the move to Brighton has allowed me to seek out my little community and a platform for my creativity I so badly needed.

What’s it you do and why do you do it?

Vlad Von Kitsch: I’m a make-up artist and gorelesque-drag performance artist. My visual aesthetic is heavily inspired by horror film and literature, folklore, traditional clown make-up and the corpse paint worn by the black metal artists I loved as a youngster. My performances often involve a number of fake blood, stripping and grotesque sexuality wrapped up in a physically comedic package.

Like many others, humour is a very important coping mechanism for me, and my art allows me to present commentary on my experiences with mental illness, sexuality and oppression and to vent my trauma in a fun way. I’m neurodivergent and might struggle to speak big feelings, getting half naked and pulling my guts out sometimes says way greater than I could express with just words. I see the colorful characters I create with make-up as little parts of me, and once I paint my face I get to depart the actual world behind and grow to be that character for a number of hours, it’s like a type of therapy.

How did you get into it?

Vlad Von Kitsch: I began really experimenting with make-up, fashion and self-portraiture once I was studying superb art in sixth form. I used to be struggling so much with my gender and body image issues and having a way of control over my appearance helped me feel less powerless about all of it. I’d come into college wearing increasingly more flamboyant looks and eventually, my art teacher suggested incorporating that into my coursework because it had grow to be an extension of my visual art practice, and my skills and ideas continued to evolve from there.

I learned make-up techniques from watching YouTube. Back then there weren’t many artists doing the sorts of looks I used to be keen on and I couldn’t afford high-quality products so it took a number of trial and error to learn to execute my vision, as much as I cringe looking back of a few of my early looks I do think having to take that DIY punk approach made me a greater, more resourceful artist in the long term.

Which fictional character do you most relate to?

Vlad Von Kitsch: Frankenstein’s monster – I, too, am an abomination with daddy issues that longs for the corporate of other monsters.

Who’s your beauty icon?

Vlad Von Kitsch: Grace Jones is certainly one among my biggest idols and her strip routine look within the 1986 film Vamp is the primary that springs to mind. She’s wearing little greater than head-to-toe body paint by Keith Haring, clown white on the face with shiny red lips and heavy black liner. I’d never seen a vampire portrayed in this fashion, it has this uncanny, clown/club kid quality. All of sudden, she looks sexy and glamorous and barely terrifying in a hypnotic way. The influence this had on me might be quite evident in my work.

What does beauty mean to you?

Vlad Von Kitsch: Beauty to me is the liberty to be fabulously ugly.

Are you optimistic in regards to the future?

Vlad Von Kitsch: I’m generally not an optimistic person, but I even have learned that life is stuffed with surprises. I can find comfort within the notion that perhaps it’s all meaningless. We never know what the longer term holds, I didn’t expect to even be alive at 27 so I take things sooner or later at a time and just try to maintain doing the things that bring me joy.

What’s the longer term of beauty?

Vlad Von Kitsch: I do not know what the longer term of beauty is but I hope to see more freedom of expression and acceptance of petty ‘flaws’. There was a lot positive change in that direction in only the ten years I’ve been doing make-up, so while I don’t expect oppressive beauty standards to be completely dismantled anytime soon I feel it’s possible that we will get to a spot where the sweetness world is less exclusive and cookie-cutter.

As a warning to the opposite members of the resistance, your head is to be mounted above the gates of town. How would you do your make-up that morning?

Vlad Von Kitsch: Pastel lilac base with heavy blush, an enormous prosthetic mouth sculpted right into a everlasting fanged smile, and ‘thanks’ written in cursive on my brow in black glitter

It’s the 12 months 2100. You’re the owner of the biggest beauty tech company on the planet, what five products or treatments will you dedicate your resources attempting to invent?

Vlad Von Kitsch: A skin cream that makes boobs disappear inside five minutes, and a companion product that makes them reappear.

A bald cap that may compress hair of any length and thickness to the purpose that it is totally invisible.

A mask device that immediately sucks all of the make-up off your face.

Setting spray that makes make-up last for several days at a time.

A lipstick that is actually smudge/water/oil proof that doesn’t go crunchy or dry out your lips – this one is less fantastical. I’m just without end upset that it doesn’t exist already.

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