New drawing show! the September Issue, Nov 2025
Dear friends and artists,
We’re thrilled to share that Demo Dema will be presenting The November Issue, our first exhibition at La Bagarre in Brussels, running from November 6 to 21, 2025.
The exhibition brings together 60 A4-format drawings created throughout 2025 by Karolina Dema (Czestochowa, Poland, 1995) and Virgile Demo (Paris, France, 1986) - using colored pencils, pastels, ink, collage, and mixed media.
Two Men at a Funeral, Virgile Demo, Colour Pencil and Pastel on Paper, 21 × 29.7 cm, 2025
From Magazine to Exhibition
A shared passion for the magazine format — whether fashion, politics, lifestyle, or comics — is the foundation of our artistic dialogue.
The November Issue began as a student project: a self-published “Godzilla Mag” during our time at the University of Brighton (2017–2020).
What started as a playful printing experiment evolved into a collaborative practice rooted in painting and image-making — a way to visualize and respond to the world around us.
The title references the Vogue documentary The September Issue — the show was originally planned for September — and the magazine format naturally became our chosen layout for the exhibition itself.
Behind Bars, Virgile Demo, Ink and Pastel on Paper, 21 × 29.7 cm, 2025
Art Meets the News
At the heart of the show is a reflection on the relationship between the press and the visual arts:
🗳️ How current events shape creative choices. Many drawings respond directly to people, headlines, and stories — from politics and sports to film and art.
📰 How framing and editorial decisions shape perception. The same event can look radically different depending on who tells it — our drawings explore that multiplicity.
📚 How the magazine acts both as object and symbol. A source of information, inspiration, and raw material, it feeds our work through cutouts, typography, and textured surfaces taken from printed matter.
Take Aim, Karolina Dema, Colour Pencil and Pastel on Paper, 21 × 29.7 cm, 2025
Homage to the Printed Image
The project also pays tribute to artists who’ve drawn from print culture — from Mickalene Thomas (US, 1973) and Fernando Bryce (Peru, 1965) to Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Nigeria, 1983) and Dana Scruggs (US, 1988), who even created her own magazine.
Mariam Dagga, Karolina Dema, Colour Pencil and Pastel on Paper, 21 × 29.7 cm, 2025
🗣️ A Celebration of Those Who Tell Our Stories
At a time when press freedom and the right to inform and be informed are increasingly under threat,
The November Issue stands as a quiet homage to all those who craft the stories we read, watch, and listen to each day.
📍 La Bagarre, Brussels
🗓️ November 6 — 21, 2025
👩🎨 Karolina Dema & Virgile Demo
🎟️ More info soon for our Patreon supporters — including behind-the-scenes posts, studio updates, and early access to new works.
✨ Thank you for following and supporting our work. Patreon makes this kind of project possible — your support helps us print, frame, and keep creating.
If you’d like to dive deeper into The November Issue, we’ll be sharing process videos, sketches, and inspirations here throughout November.
With love,
Demo Dema