Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other.

ROSA FONG-COWN

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other makes an important and innovative contribution to the understanding of the gender and racial performance of the oriental other. In order to develop an analysis of the subversive use of hegemonic representations of gender and race I formulate the idea of chinoiserie drag. A survey of the colonial project of chinoiserie provides a historical context and grounds my investigation, whilst queer theory helps frame my approach. I identify chinoiserie drag as a performance based on a ‘fanciful interpretation’ of East Asian people, creating drag acts that lampoon the oriental other. Throughout the chapter I demonstrate how, by performing a racialized gender, Zoe is able to employ chinoiserie drag to enact agency by authoring her own identity. The concept of chinoiserie drag creates new knowledge formation enabling an understanding of how hegemonic representations of race are usurped by the parodic performance of race.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1
PublisherBloombury, London
Chapter10
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 1 Aug 2020

Fingerprint

gender
performance
interpretation
knowledge
queer theory

Keywords

  • performing gender; performing race; Chinese drag; transgender

Cite this

FONG-COWN, ROSA. (Accepted/In press). Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other. In Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1 Bloombury, London.
FONG-COWN, ROSA. / Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other. Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1. Bloombury, London, 2020.
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FONG-COWN, ROSA 2020, Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other. in Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1. Bloombury, London.

Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other. / FONG-COWN, ROSA.

Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1. Bloombury, London, 2020.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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BT - Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1

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FONG-COWN ROSA. Chinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other. In Contemporary Drag Practices & Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene Vol 1. Bloombury, London. 2020