The rebirth of secret bars during our recent shut down piqued the curiosity of contemporary artist Gail Morris who set out to discover several of these 90-year-old establishments just before they were raided and closed.

In her latest series, Speakeasy, Morris takes us on a journey to a simpler time when a symbol on a playing card or a password could get you inside these hideaways. Gaining access through a friend, she was inspired by these interiors with their cobalt blue mirrors, dim art deco lighting and brilliantly colored cocktails with names like “Yellow Bird” and “French 75”.

Morris says, “I went into my studio each day with a sense of fun and joy as I worked on this series”.