Hey Bonnie! First of all, tell us a little about yourself, and your art.
Hey Demure! I am a student and artist based on Dharug and Gadigal lands. My art practice is quite scattered, but at the moment I like to have these sections: visual arts, drag, food, and writing. They all end up intersecting though - I spread myself too thin sometimes haha! I am inspired by the saturated. saccharine, and sentimental. My favourite word, unironically and somewhat embarrassingly, is either kitsch or liminal. My practice is grounded from a place of loving observation and often references queer culture and collective histories.
When did you start creating?
I feel as if I’ve always been creating, even if I didn’t have a serious or consistent artist practice. Although I grew up with an academics-focused upbringing, I always had my hands in something or would have a project going on. When I was a teenager, I began considering myself as a “creative” (whatever that word entails, everyone is a creative, etc.) because of Tumblr and Instagram, which is where I really developed my passion for art and could become who I wanted to be.
Who or what inspires you?
There is way too much, literally everything, I can’t help but find beauty in it all, haha. Some constant “who” artist inspirations include: Carolee Schneeman, Julie Rrap, Ana Mendieta, Agnes Pelton, Mok Basterd, Sin Wai Kin, Bug Dumb, Nina Eriksson, Nadia Lee Cohen…I’m going to stop myself here, but also all my peers that I’m studying alongside. Some current “what” inspirations include: cobwebs, gossamer, dewdrops, intimacy, graffiti, suburbia, food, fruit, delicious textures, things that are juicy and glistening, digital spaces, glitch, surrealism, hyperrealism, etc.
How has your art changed as you grow up and discover more about who you are?
Maybe I’ve become more purposeful and political, maybe I’ve become more boring under the guise of trying to be meaningful and “professional”, I don’t know for sure. Of course, my skills have developed but really my practice hasn’t changed that much, it's always had a playful and nostalgic quality. Everything is so relative and I just follow what feels right at the time, which often involves looking back at things that have moved or inspired me in the past. I definitely have a more developed understanding of what goes into making art and the importance of a development process though. At the moment, thanks to Emma Harbridge (@emoeba) and Simone Cheuanghane (@e3p___) for including me in a group show called Playroom, I have a renewed emphasis to return to “play”- which means being free, experimenting, challenging boundaries, and humiliating oneself while having fun. As I’ve grown older there’s been a greater focus on trying to discover myself, so I have been embracing trial and error and looking back at the simple things that inspire me.
What is your favourite medium?
I really don’t have one! I like to be informed by concept first and then let the chosen medium shape it further. However, using the body as matter and medium will always be a central practice for me as it is so pliable, accessible, and becomes a deeply experienced process. For now, I’m working more with glass as a medium because I’m trying to make the most of the facilities and courses I have access to as a part of my degree. I want to try everything, and although that may be my downfall, it has been rewarding so far.
Tell me a little about your drag. How did you get into it?
My drag is reality just as much as it is performance and fantasy. It’s colourful, dark, sweet, kitsch, visceral, clownish, nostalgic, juicy, cutesy - basically all-over-the-place. For me, it's a lived experience of expressing my ideas and desires, particularly about gender and emotion, outwardly. Being a drag-clown is just so inherent to my way of life/art practice. Not just for the visual elements but also as a conceptual device that allows me to explore identity, humility, and absurdity while also connecting to my audience.
I come from a conservative background and was never explicitly exposed to anything like it. My first memorable encounter with drag was through a beauty Youtuber who had invited Adore Delano from RuPaul’s Drag Race onto their channel. I just got sucked into the world of drag and watched all the episodes. Like any good child of the internet, I delved head-first into my new-found obsession by researching, consuming, and finding online stan communities on social media.
What inspires you in your drag? How does it influence your identity, or vice versa?
It's the limitless possibility to transform and reinvent that inspires me. To embody and deliver. I love the construction and performance of identity, and then also living through that experience - I guess it's similar to what draws people to acting/theatre, but for me there is a more DIY element to drag that begets more visual, painterly and sculptural qualities. Drag is intrinsically linked to my visual arts practice and, in that way, becomes core to my identity.
What have you learnt from doing drag?
Drag has truly changed the course of my life and how I see myself. You can be anything you want to be and can do anything you want to do! It’s allowed me to loosen up and not take things as seriously, but also to get dark and vulnerable. As someone who has social anxiety and is prone to being more quiet and awkward, drag has definitely given me a confidence boost and has helped me better express myself/how I feel. Most importantly, it has given me the vocabulary to navigate my gender journey/identity.
Do you feel a strong emotional connection to your art?
Yes! A lot of my art is personal or reflective of my fascinations of a certain time, so in that way I’m always emotionally invested and connected to what I make. I am prone to feel everything deeply and I love marinating in overwhelming emotions. Aren’t most artworks born out of an emotion? I hope that all my art has an emotional quality that people can connect to.
Credits
PITYPARTY
Photography and editing: Kayla (https://www.instagram.com/kayrucreative/)
Assistant: Nas (https://www.instagram.com/ssnaszy/)
Makeup, styling and model: Bonnie