Meet Darrell…
Darrell is a force of creativity and connection. The founder and creative director of Darrell Thorne Studios, he discovered his primary loves of costume and transformation, and the joy of hosting gatherings and events at a very young age. A completely autodidactic artist, he honed his unique skill set through 15 years of experimentation and performing in nightclubs and theater, while working full time as a hospital administrator.
With the launch of Darrell Thorne Studios a decade ago, he realized a life long dream of creating art combined with performance and connecting with people, while uplifting parties and events.
Selected Exhibitions/Performances
2023 Cirque Gala, ArtPark, Lewiston, NY
2023 Golden Goddess, WIN, Nile River, Egypt
2022 Darrell Thorne at the Warhol, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2022 Feast for the Eyes, National Arts Club, NY
2022 Mother Earth, Father Industry, WIN, Antarctica
2021 PRIDE Open House, Trigonal Gallery, NY
2021 Light Warriors, Illumination NYC, NY
2020 Under Glass and In Color, Chashama, NY (NEA Grant Recipient)
2019 Mila, The Great Sorcerer, Prototype Festival, Gerald W. Lynch Theater, NY
2019 Armory Irridescent, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY
2019 Blunderland, BGWMC, London, England
2019 Frye Fest, Avant Garde, Munich, Germany
2019 The Love Ball, New York, NY
2019 RuPauls Drag Race, VH1
2019 Tribeca Ball, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
2019 Mila, The Great Sorcerer, Prototype Festival, New York, NY
2018 American Horror Story Season Premier, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Iconic Apex, Rubulad, Brooklyn, NY
2018 High Maintenance, HBO
2017 Child/Warrior/Ego/Divine, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY
2017 Golden, Late Thursday, Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
2017 Life Ball, Vienna, Austria
2016 Jupiter, Bloomingdales, New York, NY
2016 East, Miami, FL
2016 Armory Electric, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY
2016 Rites of Passage, Dzul Dance, New York, NY
2016 Cocoa Dios, New York, NY
2015 Fashion Underground, Museum at FIT, New York, NY
2015 Falcon, Lower East Side Film Festival, New York, NY
2015 Golden Gods, Life Ball, Vienna Austria
2015 Living For Love, Madonna
2014 Broken Totem, New York, NY
2009 Ascension No. 1, Arena Studios, New York, NY
Bibliography
Aniftos, Rania: “Elton John Co-Signs Stunning, Must-See One-Man Duet of ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’”, Billboard, November 2, 2020
Samhan, Jamie: “Elton John Praises ‘Fantastic’ One-Man Performance..”, ETCanada, November 2, 2020
“Darrell Thorne Takes ‘Window Dressing’ To New Heights”, The Village Sun, July 1, 2020
Staley, Willy: “’High Maintenance’ and the New TV Fantasy of New York”, The New York Times Magazine, January 30, 2020
Oelbaum, Jed: “The Chameleonic Craft of Darrell Thorne”, GOOD, February 27, 2018
Piepenburg, Erik: “Garbo, Gloss and ‘Hir’”, The New York Times, September 11, 2015
“OUT 100: Darrell Thorne & Bright Light Bright Light”, OUT Magazine, November 10, 2014
Teaching
2022, Guest Lecturer, Carnegie Melon University, Pittsburgh
2014, 2015, 2016, Sessional Instructor, Makeup Forever Academy, NY
Grants
2020, National Endowment for the Arts / Enlivening NYC Grant
Residencies
2016, Studio Residency, Park Avenue Armory, NY
2019, Studio Residence, Park Avenue Armory