Title 

Female Impersonation in Japan

Summary 

An exhibition detailing the history of female impersonation in Japan, predominately through the mediums of fashion and photography.

Statement of Concept

Western attitudes to drag have changed phenomenally over the past decade; London is host to a prominent drag scene and RuPaul’s drag race dominates television. Many exhibitions have exploited this narrative and promoted the culture to the mainstream, such as Drag: Self-Portraits and Body Politics at the Hayward Gallery, 2018. It would be interesting to apply this to a non-Western context. I would like to oversee the planning of an exhibition that explores the history of female impersonation in Japan, promotes contemporary performers to a global audience and inspires the London drag scene to look globally. 

Female impersonation has a rich, complex history in Japan. In the Edo era, women and young men were banned from performing in kabuki theatres, leaving the older men to take on their roles (these roles became known as onnagata). Brothels in the ukiyo (red-light district) began to cater solely to men interested in sexual relations with transgendered prostitutes. There are many art forms from the era that showcase same-sex relationships, transgender sexual encounters and female impersonation. After the Westernisation of Japan, the nation began to adopt the views of sexology, which frowned upon homosexuality, androgyny, transgendered individuals and female impersonation. Today in Japan, female impersonation is frowned upon (outside of kabuki) for its associations with homosexuality and its avoidance of societal conformity. Yet, drag continues to prevail within small clubs throughout the country, and, in some cases, featured on television. 

There are a number of famous contemporary Japanese transgender and drag performers. Bourbonne and Esmerelda are known as the pioneers of contemporary josou (cross-dressing) culture. In mainstream culture, Shinnosuke Ikehata (stage name Peter) is well known for performing in male and female costumes on television. Akihiro Maruyama is a drag queen famous for her social activism and cabaret shows. In Osaka, foreign drag queen Electra Raygun attracts a large audience to her shows. American Japanese drag queen Gia Gunn featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race, giving several nods to her Japanese heritage. I want to explore some of these performers further and celebrate their artistry.

Review of Context

Drag: Self-Portraits and Body Politics at the Hayward Gallery (22 Aug – 14 Oct 2018) explored “30 artists who have used drag to explore or question identity, gender, class and politics, from the 1960s to the present day”. The exhibition gave voice to drag artists in a thematic, rather than linear, narrative and touched on key moments in Western LGBTQ+ history. I would like to draw inspiration from this exhibition’s curatorial choices and interpretation.

On Dazed online platform, there is a drag category that could serve as inspiration for the type of content Western audiences like to read when it comes to drag. Dazed has articles on photography, video and art regarding the drag community, and occasionally explores Asian drag scenes. This could direct me toward curating an exhibition that will appeal to a contemporary audience. 

In its Mitsubishi gallery and online research platform, the British Museum hosts a collection of kabuki prints, which may serve as inspiration for the historical context of the exhibition. Similarly, the V&A holds a collection of costumes and props from kabuki that may shape the way I present the historical context element. These exhibitions explore female impersonation in Japan but may not fully develop the narrative because their focus is broader. I would hope to contact curators in both museums to answer any questions I may have.

Writing for the Project

I will produce an exhibition proposal directed toward the gallery in Japan House, London. This will include potential audience, value of the exhibition, concepts that will be examined and a list of images. I will also include a proposal summary and curatorial statement, to ensure that the gallery fully understand my intentions. I may also include an idea for how the opening night will proceed. 

Alongside this, I will also create some interpretation for the exhibition, which will inform wall panels and the catalogue. In doing so, I will assemble the catalogue and include a draft floor plan in order to fully visualise how the exhibition will look when developed thoroughly.

Development

To begin, I hope to gather a wide range of materials about female impersonation in Japan. Having done this, I will divide the materials into categories, of which I will select which are the most relevant for the exhibition. I hope to focus on the performance and artistic nature of the medium, with examples of costume, make-up and dance. If possible, I wish to find photographers and videographers who have already captured the scene, as well as possibly commissioning a new piece for the exhibition. 

I think video, sound and photography will be an important aspect of the exhibition. I also hope to make it tactical and inclusive of different senses aside from the standard visual material of exhibitions. I will take inspiration from exhibitions I have visited; for example, an exhibition I saw in Seoul included costumes from the performance artist’s collection hanging from the ceiling – which had to be pushed through to reach the exhibition. 

When deciding upon how to curate the space, I hope to take a contemporary, innovative approach that may appeal to members of the LGBTQ+ community who are not regular museum / gallery visitors. I hope to make it an inviting space that challenges Western views of Asian drag and provides an inspiring space for those interested in female impersonation. I hope to do this without alienating the current audience of Japan House. Thus, I will ensure that the exhibition limits crudeness and potentially offensive materials, focusing on the artistry of josou and female impersonation.