Maurizio Coppola
Solero Summers, 2023
For this exhibition, I made a series of portraits of a drag queen, Solero Summers.
Why did I choose to do that for Women’s History Month? I have always seen drag queens as a bridge between two genders, but mostly because this art form, which has evolved into a celebration of femininity, was in fact born from an exclusion of women from performing arts.
Before 1683, women were not allowed to act in theatre and female roles were played by male actors. Today, drag queens celebrate women by embodying feminine powers. The most particular characteristic of a drag queen is that they can inspire awe and fears during their cabarets in equal measure. They can make men feel admired or ridiculed. When a queen addresses a guy in the audience, he can never be sure if it’s to flirt or to embarrass him!
