Drag artist explores self in dynamic photo exhibit
Nana Youngrong Kim's "NANA Character Energy_7" (2023) / Courtesy of the artist, The Trinity Gallery
A poster for drag artist Nana Youngrong Kim's solo exhibition "NA, NA," at The Trinity Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of The Trinity Gallery
Prominent drag artist Nana Youngrong Kim returns to The Trinity Gallery in central Seoul with his solo exhibition, “NA, NA.”
For the photo exhibit, running from Nov. 2 to 15, Kim has taken on the roles of conceptual and artistic director and collaborated with three other creatives — NOVV KIM, Yezoi Hwang and Kim mumU — to bring his vision to life.
“NA, NA” is a journey into Kim’s self-exploration through the performative language of drag, divided into two chapters: “The Persona Prism” and “NANA Character Energy.” The show’s title not only reflects the artist’s alias, but also the Korean word for “I” or “me.”
In the first chapter, Kim merges the concepts of “persona” – a central element in drag performance – and “prism” to highlight his boundless expressive energy.
Here, the artist establishes his drag personality as none other than his own self, allowing the varied facets of his creative desires and fantasies to flow forth with wit.
In the continuing chapter, he transforms himself into a range of characters seen across different genres – from noir to “high teen,” a pop culture aesthetic associated with high school and teenager imagery.
The exhibition, in a way, acts as a static, miniature version of his own live drag show, offering a glimpse into his multifaceted artistic identity.
“It’s difficult to encapsulate my existence with a single word or sentence. I hope that visitors to this show will view these diverse portrayals of me and regard every one of them as a representation of myself,” Kim wrote in his artist’s note.