Janine Shroff Explores Drag Creatively At Gender Bender 2016

Feminists of the world, unite!

Gender stereotypes have been crushed.

Well…

Alright, not in our patriarchal heteronormative society, but in the Kadak Reading Room at Gender Bender 2016. The Reading Room is the online showcase of projects by the Kadak Collective, exhibited at the Goethe-Institut, Bangalore on September 3rd and 4th. It gives us eight unique perspectives on gender.

One such quirky yet mind-boggling display is ‘Everything Drag‘ by Janine Shroff.

Image source: medium.com

Drag means exaggeration and flamboyancy, grandiosity and vainglory. And according to Janine,

Dressing ‘feminine’ has always felt a bit (sometimes a lot) like drag.

Through her illustrations, Janine delves deep into the nuances of gender roles and societal perceptions. She not only brings to the table everyday drudgeries like wearing heels but also views them through the lens of cultural legends and myths across the globe.

Heels So Drag!

Image source: medium.com

On ‘bending’ gender stereotypes, Janine told TYS,

I don’t think I believe in gender as a concept anymore. Or at least in a black and white binary, ‘This is man, This is woman’ sort of way.

Creatively woven around normalised yet hard-hitting realities, Janine’s artwork is as poignant as her perception of Art itself. For her, the significance of Art in the broader political narrative is best summarized by Banksy’s quote:

Art should disturb the comfortable, and comfort the disturbed.

Visit The Reading Room and plunge into the vibrancy and somberness of the eight short tales. Embrace the struggles of socially-constructed femininity while discarding and re-discovering the Drag in you.