An award-winning photographer is bringing a “vivacious” drag exhibition to Liverpool this summer.
Magnus Hasting’s upcoming exhibition ‘Queen’ at the Walker Art Gallery displays a curated selection of his most famous photographs. The showcase will feature an array of familiar faces for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies with everyone from Bianca Del Rio, Courtney Act and Trixie Mattel appearing.
Alongside the iconic images, will be newly commissioned, never seen before photographs spotlighting dozens of Liverpool’s drag artists, shot in the city’s famous Pride Quarter.
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Those displayed include Halewood’s Danny Beard, a Drag Race UK winner, GBar and The Masquerade’s Violet Pain and cabaret singer Minnie, Heaven’s Naya Thorn and Superstar Boudior’s Brenda LaBeau.
Magnus said: “Drag has always been at the forefront of my work, whatever else I do I am always pulled back to the genre as I have never found the same freedom, daring and creativity anywhere else. I like to say I am a participant, not an observer, as it has always made sense to me since I was a small boy teetering in my mother’s heels wrapped in a boa. Drag is my home.
“This exhibition showcases my work both old and new, with a truly international cast of queens from Los Angeles to Liverpool and featuring some of the biggest names on the scene today. It was especially exciting and important for me to come to Liverpool and photograph the local talent and include their artistry.
“Drag is an ever-evolving genre and my photographs have always showcased the entire spectrum; from comedy queens, bearded queens, full female illusionists, drag kings and gender benders all with one thing in common – they are all valid and all are drag.
“This show is an exploration of drag’s roots and its continual evolution, and I’m really thrilled to have all these incredible subjects I’ve photographed gathered in one place – it’s going to be an amazing showcase of talent.”
Originally from London, Magnus has gained widespread recognition through his distinctive style that “combines bold colour palettes with a keen eye for capturing the essence of his subjects”.
The new exhibition, which is a collaboration with National Museums Liverpool, describes itself as a “vibrant testament to the individual artistry of drag and the collective spirit of pride”. It takes a look at Liverpool’s world-renowned drag scene that “serves as both a haven and a stage for numerous outstanding performers who live, work, and slay in the city”.
Magnus turns the camera on some of the city’s local drag superstars, showcasing their unique looks in a series of photographs that capture the vivacity and individuality embodying the city’s drag scene. The exhibition will open at the Walker Art Gallery, on William Brown Street, on July 27 and run until August 25.
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