Lee-Francis Evatt

Growing up many of us have decorated our bedrooms with our idols. Presently my idols haven’t been A-List celebrities, they have been my in my local community. To emulate the likeness of a bedroom wall I embarked on creating portraits of the Queer community of Ngunnawal (Canberra). This includes people from the drag scene, emerging Ballroom scene, the music scene and more generally, my friends. The Ballroom scene is a space that was nurtured in the suffering of LGBT+ Black and LatinX bodies in the 1960’s. Ballroom today is a direct result of the LGBT+ and civil resistance; it has evolved to become a vibrant space where guests of all walks of life are welcomed. The scene is emerging in Ngunnawal and I have attended and documented Kiki meetups (casual, non-competitive meet ups to learn and practice dancing and walking). I want to be somebody who seeks to blur the lines between what it means to be a friend and a super-fan. It’s a celebration of community and the individuals that inspire me.