Juwelia 2, 2000

Annette Frick, Juwelia 2, 2000; Hand printed by the artist on silver gelatin Baryta paper; Image: 87 × 61.5 cm ; Frame: 122 × 81.5 cm

Since the early 1980s, photographer and filmmaker Annette Frick has pursued portraiture beyond the popular mainstream. Known for her intimate and frank behind-the-scenes glimpses, Frick documented icons of the drag scene who have been influential in shaping contemporary transgender identity.

This photograph is of the artist’s friend, Juwelia Soraya. An artist, singer and drag queen, Soraya has acted in films such as Rosa von Praunheim’s Überleben in Neukölln (Survival in Neukölln), which documents the trials of an openly queer person in Germany after the reunification.

Photo by Marjorie Brunet Plaza