DRAG LANDSCAPES

Drag Landscapes centers on portraiture of drag performers across global contexts, using each subject's own narrative as raw material for the work itself. Text, shape, and symbol are woven directly into the composition of the portrait — not as decoration, but as a second language running alongside the painted image. The goal is not simply to depict a face, but to construct a legible record: one that lets the viewer read the history, hardships, joys, and social realities embedded in each subject's relationship to drag. Across these portraits, the artist traces where gender performance across different cultures and geographies converges — and where it splits apart entirely.

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Each portrait grows out of an intimate interview process, rooted in open, personal conversation. Guiding this dialogue is a deliberate set of questions designed to excavate a full picture: geography and cultural setting, the mechanics of gender performance, race, identity formation, community reception, and the threat of violence faced by gender-nonconforming people. Alongside these, subjects are asked about their formative years, personal growth, and the path toward self-recognition. The resulting conversations become the scaffolding for the visual work — the text and symbolism in each piece are drawn directly from what the subject shares.