Tag Archives: Berlin Strippers Collective

A life drawing session with Suki of the BSC, celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Showgirls of SF!

Suki in corset for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes May 26 2021I always love to join a zoom drawing session from the BSC.

The Berlin Strippers’ Collective is a wonderful resource for folks who do life drawing, both remotely and IRL. Although my health has limited my attendance, I had to make this session with co-founder Suki, who created a concept to honor the history of the AAPI showgirls of San Francisco’s Forbidden City Nightclub and Cabaret.

πšƒπš‘πšŽ π™΅πš˜πš›πš‹πš’πšπšπšŽπš— π™²πš’πšπš’ 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 π™²πš‘πš’πš—πšŽπšœπšŽ πš—πš’πšπš‘πšπšŒπš•πšžπš‹ πšŠπš—πš πšŒπšŠπš‹πšŠπš›πšŽπš πš’πš— πš‚πšŠπš— π™΅πš›πšŠπš—πšŒπš’πšœπšŒπš˜, πš πš‘πš’πšŒπš‘ 𝚠𝚊𝚜 πš’πš— πš‹πšžπšœπš’πš—πšŽπšœπšœ πšπš›πš˜πš– 𝟷𝟿𝟹𝟾 𝚝𝚘 𝟷𝟿𝟽𝟢.
π™²πš‘πšŠπš›πš•πš’πšŽ π™»πš˜πš , πšπš‘πšŽ πšœπš˜πš— 𝚘𝚏 πšœπš–πšŠπš•πš• πšœπšπš˜πš›πšŽ πš˜πš πš—πšŽπš›πšœ, πš˜πš™πšŽπš—πšŽπš πšπš‘πšŽ π™΅πš˜πš›πš‹πš’πšπšπšŽπš— π™²πš’πšπš’ πš˜πš— π™³πšŽπšŒπšŽπš–πš‹πšŽπš› 𝟸𝟸, 𝟷𝟿𝟹𝟾.
π™±πšžπšœπš’πš—πšŽπšœπšœ 𝚠𝚊𝚜 πšœπš•πš˜πš  πšžπš—πšπš’πš• 𝟷𝟿𝟺𝟢, πš πš‘πšŽπš— π™»πš˜πš  πš‘πš’πš›πšŽπš π™½πš˜πšŽπš• πšƒπš˜πš’, 𝚊 πš“πš˜πšžπš›πš—πšŠπš•πš’πšœπš– πšœπšπšžπšπšŽπš—πš 𝚊𝚝 πš„πš—πš’πšŸπšŽπš›πšœπš’πšπš’ 𝚘𝚏 π™²πšŠπš•πš’πšπš˜πš›πš—πš’πšŠ, π™±πšŽπš›πš”πšŽπš•πšŽπš’ πš πš‘πš˜ πš‘πšŠπš πš πš˜πš›πš”πšŽπš 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 πš—πšžπšπšŽ πš–πš˜πšπšŽπš• 𝚊𝚝 πšπš‘πšŽ π™Άπš˜πš•πšπšŽπš— π™ΆπšŠπšπšŽ π™Έπš—πšπšŽπš›πš—πšŠπšπš’πš˜πš—πšŠπš• π™΄πš‘πš™πš˜πšœπš’πšπš’πš˜πš— πš’πš— 𝟷𝟿𝟹𝟿. π™°πš π™΅πš˜πš›πš‹πš’πšπšπšŽπš— π™²πš’πšπš’, πšƒπš˜πš’ 𝚠𝚊𝚜 πš–πšŠπš›πš”πšŽπšπšŽπš 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 “π™±πšžπš‹πš‹πš•πšŽ π™³πšŠπš—πšŒπšŽπš›.” πš‚πš‘πšŽ πš™πšŽπš›πšπš˜πš›πš–πšŽπš πš—πšžπšπšŽ πš πš’πšπš‘ 𝚊 πš•πšŠπš›πšπšŽ, πš˜πš™πšŠπššπšžπšŽ πš‹πšžπš‹πš‹πš•πšŽ πšŒπš˜πšŸπšŽπš›πš’πš—πš πš‘πšŽπš› πš‹πš˜πšπš’. πš‚πš‘πšŽ πšŠπš•πšœπš˜ πš™πšŽπš›πšπš˜πš›πš–πšŽπš 𝚊 πš—πšžπšπšŽ πšπšŠπš— πšπšŠπš—πšŒπšŽ πš πš’πšπš‘ πš˜πšœπšπš›πš’πšŒπš‘ πšπšŽπšŠπšπš‘πšŽπš›πšœ. πš†πš’πšπš‘πš’πš— πšπš‘πš›πšŽπšŽ πš–πš˜πš—πšπš‘πšœ, πš‹πšžπšœπš’πš—πšŽπšœπšœ πš›πšŽπšŸπšŽπš—πšžπšŽπšœ πš‘πšŠπš πšπš›πš’πš™πš•πšŽπš.

-from Suki’s post for the event

Suki with red fans for BSC by Suzanne Forbes May 26 2021Such a gorgeous feel to this session!

I love the red fabric fans! Suki’s insta is here.

Suki for BSC by Suzanne Forbes May 26 2021Thank you so much for the history and the inspiration, Suki!

Happy International Sex Worker’s Day to all, and don’t forget to visit the BSC pages to see how Covid has affected strippers, among other sex work industries. You can also visit Suki’s fan site here πŸ™‚

I am incredibly grateful to myΒ Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me work safely at home, documenting Berlin performers and sex workers.

Martini Cherry Furter models for BSC Life Drawing, with two suitcases of looks!

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 flashdanceI am such a fan of Berlin performer Martini Cherry Furter.

I was exhausted from a month of working like a fiend when Martini announced she would be modeling for one of my favorite Berlin life drawing groups.

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective with pole bySuzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 2minsBut I could not possibly pass up drawing Martini posing for Berlin Strippers Collective Life Drawing!

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 blue dressMartini brought TWO SUITCASES of looks and wigs!

She had a fabulous playlist, and as always, SO MUCH CHARISMA!!! Everyone in the session went wild with happiness, so moved by Martini’s presence and style.

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 last poseEach costume change was lightning fast!

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 shrugWonderful BSC cat-herder Chiqui Love was on hand to facilitate the session.

Always a joy to join a session run by Chiqui!Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 2mins

Martini for Berlin Strippers Collective by Suzanne Forbes Feb 26 2021 decoThis beautiful flapper-at-the-end-of-night pose really deserved a serious photographer.

Martini has inspired me so many times; I would buy a coffee table book of photos and drawings of her in a heartbeat. In very exciting news, Martini is in an upcoming short film and video installation by Zara Zandieh, inspired by two works of Octavia Butler. It’s called Octavia’s Visions and has several Berlin performers in it.

You can learn about the organizing and empowering work of the Berlin Strippers Collective on the BSC site here. BSC also has a Patreon for financial support of this crucial work.

I am incredibly grateful to myΒ Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support lets me keep documenting Berlin’s queer performers while I work safely at home.