#Drag - Kim Partridge @ Ffoto Newport

Opening 3rd September 2022 5:00pm

click here to view behind the scenes video

An exhibition around the art and evolution of Drag. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued and at times slightly obsessed with the world of drag.

I believe the first time I encountered a drag queen in the wild was as an adolescent, sitting on a pavement, possibly in Spain or Ibiza, waiting for my mum to come out of a shop. There were about 6 of them in full sequined, heeled, feathered and massive haired gloriousness. I had no idea at this point how they did what they did, but I was into it.

During lockdown P1, among a myriad of Netflix specials, self portraits and photoshop tutorials, I had a realisation that my next personal project needed to be centered around the lgbt+ community, specifically, around the colourful characters of the drag world. I wanted to go deeper than the current drag race trend, and speak to artists across Wales and the UK who had stories - who’d performed in seedy bars to small crowds before drag was the phenomenon it is today. 

My objective was to speak with and photograph drag performers, artists, creators and collaborators from various backgrounds and experiences who have in some way helped to shape the UK drag scene as we know it.

This is an ongoing project, and these images are a selection from what I’ve captured so far. The ongoing lockdowns slowed progress somewhat, however, things are now back in full swing with further shoots planned in Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.

My aim with these images, is to celebrate those who have contributed to a culture that so many people now thankfully get to enjoy.

I am eternally grateful to the artists who have worked with me on this project thus far. (For those not in the know, getting into drag can take 2-4 hours + depending on your look, so going through that on a non working day or night for me to come and take photos is so very appreciated).

I’ve adored working with these artists and creating these photos. I’ve met and continue to meet incredible people who have the most interesting stories and anecdotes that they’ve been kind enough to share with me. 

Right now, I can’t imagine working on anything else.