Galerie Studio St. St.

Stepping into the warm, pinkish glow emanating from Galerie Studio St. St. on Sanderstraße, you might hear a singsong voice call out, “Chéri, come in!” This is the domain of Juwelia, a veteran drag performer and artist. Galerie Studio St. St. has been her salon for 15 years. It’s a vibrant, queer heterotopia nestled amidst the changing landscape of Neukölln. The gallery is a cozy space filled with Juwelia’s paintings. They hang from floor to ceiling, creating a world of iridescent flowers, dancing figures, and pastel skies. Galerie Studio St. St. isn’t just an art gallery; it’s a performance space. Twice a week, Juwelia opens her doors, welcoming guests into her unique world. Some nights she’s in Crocs, a charismatic hostess offering a warm welcome. Other nights, she’s a full-fledged glamazon, towering in heels, her curls sparkling with glitter. The art at Galerie Studio St. St. reflects Juwelia’s personal style. It’s a mix of kitsch, innocence, and subversion. Cute dogs mingle with bacchanals, all under a powder-blue sky. You might feel like a riot is brewing beneath the flowerbeds, a tension between beauty and chaos. Galerie Studio St. St. is a testament to Juwelia’s artistic vision. It was born from a lack of opportunities, a DIY solution in true Berlin fashion. Originally intended as a studio and showroom, it evolved into the salon it is today. The two rooms of Galerie Studio St. St. are connected by a hallway with a makeshift bar. It’s a space filled with mismatched glasses, liquor bottles, and a tip jar. It’s a reminder of the intimate, uncommodified spaces that once defined Berlin’s neighborhoods. Juwelia, whose real name is Stefan Stricker, embodies the spirit of the Eternal Underground Trash-Diva. She’s a fixture of Neukölln, a neighborhood once explored by artists and documented in Rosa von Praunheim’s film, “Überleben in Neukölln.” Juwelia even makes an appearance, cycling through Reuterkiez with a straw hat. Galerie Studio St. St. is more than just a gallery. It’s a space where ambiguities and otherness are celebrated. It’s a place where difference is accepted. Twice a week, guests arrive to drink, talk, and maybe even catch a performance. Juwelia’s cabaret classics evoke the decadent nightlife that has coursed through Berlin since the Weimar Republic. For 15 years, Galerie Studio St. St. has existed as a semi-secret club. It’s a magical theatre where only those who are looking find their way in.