Passion By Design © 1987 Kizette de Lempicka-Foxhall.  Script participation authorized by Kizette Foxhall.  Licensed by Museum Masters International, NYC. www.museummasters.com

Actress and painter, Kara Wilson, recreates the Polish artist, Tamara de Lempicka, the glamorous and decadent Art Deco legend of 1930’s Paris. She paints a portrait whilst giving a glimpse into Tamara’s life and times. Songs from the period combine with the action to create a magical occasion in this very special one woman show which pays tribute to a great talent and provides a rare mixture of the arts for the diversion of the audience who have the unique opportunity to buy the painting at the end of the evening.

Kara Wilson’s study of Lempicka’s ‘The Dream’

It was while she was bringing up her daughter, Nina, that Kara studied art and developed her portrait painting skills. During an exhibition of her paintings in the Leith Gallery in 1996, Kara painted portraits ‘live’ daily in the gallery and found that, far from being put off by people watching her paint, she positively thrived in this situation. This led her to devise a one woman show featuring her painting where the audience could watch an artist at work and learn about her life at the same time. Kara added some songs as the final ingredient because singing has also been a passion in recent years.

‘GLASGOW GIRL’ on the life of Bessie MacNicol opened at the Leith Gallery in the Edinburgh Fringe in 1997. This was followed by a tour of Scottish galleries and then three performances in New York in January 1998. ‘DECO DIVA’ is the second show in this genre and premiered at the Leith Gallery in the Edinburgh Fringe, August 1998. Since then she has performed it many times across the country and most recently at the Royal Academy, London during the major exhibition of Lempicka’s work in the summer of 2004.

Kara was invited to take the show to 59E59 Theatre in New York to take part in their ‘BRITS OFF BROADWAY’ season from 5th to 24th April, 2005.
See reviews of the NY run under Reviews.

DECO DIVA, the text of Kara Wilson’s one woman show on the life of Tamara de Lempicka, was published in Spring 2005. To reserve a copy email info@karawilson.co.uk