Lady Pink: Graffiti Pioneer, Feminist Visionary, and Immersive Storyteller
Lady Pink—born Sandra Fabara in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York—is not just one of the first female street artists; she’s a fearless force who carved her name into the vibrant chaos of 1980s graffiti culture. At just 15, in a moment of personal sorrow after her boyfriend was arrested and sent back to Puerto Rico, she tagged his name around her middle school—an impulsive act that sparked a storied career.
By age 17, Lady Pink had already cemented her status among New York art legends, appearing in MoMA PS1’s pivotal New York/New Wave exhibition alongside icons like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The next year, she landed a cult role in the graffiti-infused film Wild Style, and at 21, held her first solo exhibition—Femmes Fatales at Moore College of Art—where she challenged stereotypes and reshaped the representation of women in a male-dominated subculture.
Her artwork now lives in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Groningen Museum in the Netherlands—testament to her impact both inside and beyond the street-art world.
A lifelong advocate for equality, Lady Pink continues to merge creativity with activism. She passionately mentors emerging female artists and leads community art workshops while continuing to produce new works for exhibitions worldwide.
Miss Subway NYC — An Immersive Exhibition
Currently on display at D’Stassi Art in London until late September, Miss Subway NYC is far more than a retrospective—it’s a full-immersive invitation into the world that shaped Lady Pink.
Named after a mid-20th-century beauty contest conducted on New York subway platforms, the show riffs on heritage and urban myth. One standout piece reinterprets a famous Martha Cooper photograph—Lady Pink seated on a graffiti-covered train with a spray can—now recreated in vibrant pinks and purples, with her husband reconstructing the layered graffiti backdrop.
Inside the gallery, visitors step into a life-size wooden subway car installation—a canvas in motion. During the opening, Lady Pink tagged the train herself, then handed over markers for guests, inviting them to leave their mark. London’s own graffiti artists joined the creative experiment, making it a collaborative, evolving piece.
Graffiti as Feminine Agency
Lady Pink’s journey hasn’t been without its barriers. In 1979, Manhattan’s graffiti scene was a tightly controlled male arena—like a guild where belonging was earned, not given. She was often underestimated, seen as a “pretty girl” who didn’t belong. Yet her persistence—painting through the nights with elaborate pieces—won her respect. Surprisingly, being a woman sometimes offered an advantage: the feminist spirit of the time inspired inclusivity, and her peers grew to value her presence. By age 16, she was already showing at Fashion Moda’s first graffiti gallery show, side by side with prominent male artists.
She believes deeply in street art as a form of unfiltered expression—one where work meets raw, immediate feedback. “On the street,” she says, “people will tell you to your face if they think your work is trash.” That kind of openness builds courage—especially for women stepping into public space.
How Perception Has Evolved—and Where It Still Challenges
Lady Pink has seen tremendous shifts in how graffiti is perceived. In the ’80s, her medium was underground and antagonized. Today, graffiti art fills ad campaigns, fashion, and mainstream museums. Yet its acceptance remains conditional—tagging on private property is still deemed vandalism. While city clean-up crews eradicated subway work by the late ’80s, artists now often turn to streets, walls, and industrial spaces—though public and private boundaries remain a fraught line.
Onwards—Always Onwards
Never one to rest, Lady Pink is currently bound for St. Louis’s Paint Lewis festival—painting a three-mile wall alongside hundreds of artists. Last year, she painted with 47 women, a poignant contrast to when she worked almost alone. Upcoming, she has a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster, a rooftop commission for a New York fashion show, and a talk in Montreal on an exhibition titled Queens. Her calendar is full—and that’s the life she loves.
Read the full 1883 Magazine interview here to explore more of Lady Pink’s insights and creative journey. - Here.
Lady Pink: Graffiti Pioneer, Feminist Visionary, and Immersive Storyteller
Lady Pink—born Sandra Fabara in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York—is not just one of the first female street artists; she’s a fearless force who carved her name into the vibrant chaos of 1980s graffiti culture. At just 15, in a moment of personal sorrow after her boyfriend was arrested and sent back to Puerto Rico, she tagged his name around her middle school—an impulsive act that sparked a storied career.
By age 17, Lady Pink had already cemented her status among New York art legends, appearing in MoMA PS1’s pivotal New York/New Wave exhibition alongside icons like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. The next year, she landed a cult role in the graffiti-infused film Wild Style, and at 21, held her first solo exhibition—Femmes Fatales at Moore College of Art—where she challenged stereotypes and reshaped the representation of women in a male-dominated subculture.
Her artwork now lives in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Groningen Museum in the Netherlands—testament to her impact both inside and beyond the street-art world.
A lifelong advocate for equality, Lady Pink continues to merge creativity with activism. She passionately mentors emerging female artists and leads community art workshops while continuing to produce new works for exhibitions worldwide.
Miss Subway NYC — An Immersive Exhibition
Currently on display at D’Stassi Art in London until late September, Miss Subway NYC is far more than a retrospective—it’s a full-immersive invitation into the world that shaped Lady Pink.
Named after a mid-20th-century beauty contest conducted on New York subway platforms, the show riffs on heritage and urban myth. One standout piece reinterprets a famous Martha Cooper photograph—Lady Pink seated on a graffiti-covered train with a spray can—now recreated in vibrant pinks and purples, with her husband reconstructing the layered graffiti backdrop.
Inside the gallery, visitors step into a life-size wooden subway car installation—a canvas in motion. During the opening, Lady Pink tagged the train herself, then handed over markers for guests, inviting them to leave their mark. London’s own graffiti artists joined the creative experiment, making it a collaborative, evolving piece.
Graffiti as Feminine Agency
Lady Pink’s journey hasn’t been without its barriers. In 1979, Manhattan’s graffiti scene was a tightly controlled male arena—like a guild where belonging was earned, not given. She was often underestimated, seen as a “pretty girl” who didn’t belong. Yet her persistence—painting through the nights with elaborate pieces—won her respect. Surprisingly, being a woman sometimes offered an advantage: the feminist spirit of the time inspired inclusivity, and her peers grew to value her presence. By age 16, she was already showing at Fashion Moda’s first graffiti gallery show, side by side with prominent male artists.
She believes deeply in street art as a form of unfiltered expression—one where work meets raw, immediate feedback. “On the street,” she says, “people will tell you to your face if they think your work is trash.” That kind of openness builds courage—especially for women stepping into public space.
How Perception Has Evolved—and Where It Still Challenges
Lady Pink has seen tremendous shifts in how graffiti is perceived. In the ’80s, her medium was underground and antagonized. Today, graffiti art fills ad campaigns, fashion, and mainstream museums. Yet its acceptance remains conditional—tagging on private property is still deemed vandalism. While city clean-up crews eradicated subway work by the late ’80s, artists now often turn to streets, walls, and industrial spaces—though public and private boundaries remain a fraught line.
Onwards—Always Onwards
Never one to rest, Lady Pink is currently bound for St. Louis’s Paint Lewis festival—painting a three-mile wall alongside hundreds of artists. Last year, she painted with 47 women, a poignant contrast to when she worked almost alone. Upcoming, she has a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster, a rooftop commission for a New York fashion show, and a talk in Montreal on an exhibition titled Queens. Her calendar is full—and that’s the life she loves.
Read the full 1883 Magazine interview here to explore more of Lady Pink’s insights and creative journey. - Here.