TAKE A DRAG - CYNTHIA SCIBERRAS

The photo exhibition, Take a Drag, is an intimate series of portraits exploring the boundaries of culturally-defined gender within a marginalized community. It continues through March 6th at the Seymour Center, Sydney.

For five years artist Cynthia Sciberras observed the world of drag queens. She spent time in the noisy and popular drag district and cabaret bar, Hulu Café. Opened in 1990 by a Melbournian butcher, Hulu Café located in the back streets of Legian was the first drag venue in Bali, staging professional drag shows six nights a week. In the beginning, Cynthia’s photographs were taken from the perspective of an audience member, capturing the performance of the impersonators as a voyeur. However, she quickly became determined to become part of this underground culture and ventured backstage.

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1972, Cynthia Sciberras first expressed her artistic streak through various creative pursuits including fashion, where she holds a Diploma of Fashion Design from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), and a passion for classical dance, which saw her complete a Commonwealth Diploma in Teachers of Dance (CSTD) at a privately run arts college. Cynthia first started taking photographs while living in London in the early 90s, using a second hand analogue Canon AE1, purchased for ₤25 from the world-famous markets on Portabello Road.


* Website: http://www.cynthiasciberras.com/ .