Decolonising Drag: When Queer Asian Artists Do Drag

Bao, Hongwei

Abstract

This chapter starts with a question: how do queer artists of Asian heritage living outside Asia do drag? This question is primarily motivated by the understanding that there are distinct drag traditions in each country and culture, and that there has been a long crossdressing and drag tradition in Asian performance cultures. It is also propelled by the understanding of the entangled relationship between queer and drag cultures, as well as the complex identity issues brought about by the artists’ diasporic positionality. Seen in this light, whether, how and why queer Asian artists do drag, and for what audiences, is not a straightforward question, and the answers are usually contingent, personal and indeed political. I will use the drag performances of three queer Asian artists living in the West as case studies: Hong Kong-born, Melbourne-based artist Scotty So (蘇港鴻), Mainland China-born, London-based artists Whiskey Chow (b.1989), and Toronto-born, London-based artist Sin Wai Kin (單慧乾 formerly Victoria Sin, b.1991). They are all artists working with a range of media and artforms such as performance, film and installation. Most importantly, all three artists have used drag in their artworks to explores issues of identity.

Citation

Bao, H. (in press). Decolonising Drag: When Queer Asian Artists Do Drag. In M. Edward, & S. Farrier (Eds.), Drag Vistas and Visions: Drag in a Changing Scene. Volume 3

• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Drag Vistas and Visions: Drag in a Changing Scene. Volume 3
• Chapter Number: 2
• ISBN: 9781350373525
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/39995887
• Contract Date: Sep 25, 2024