Miami Beach, June 1st-June 30th, 2022
The Architecture of Identity: Honoring the Miami Queen
Knightâs commitment to documenting social histories is vibrantly seen in her work celebrating the Miami drag queen; the series, she explores the fluid boundaries of gender identity, self-expression, and the power of role play. Utilizing a decadent mix of vintage wallpaper, acrylic, and Swarovski crystals, Knight elevates her subjects into icons, housing them within gold royal cameos that demand the same reverence as historical nobility.
These works served as a timely architectural intervention. At a moment when the drag community faced significant political headwinds and legislative scrutiny within Florida, Knight took this “High-Society” aesthetic directly to the streets, painting these tributes on the walls of Miami Beach. By placing hand-painted, Swarovski-studded portraits in public spaces, she used ornamental elements to reclaim space for a community under pressure.
Perhaps in this context, more than a frame, the gold cameo acts as a shield. Knight utilizes the language of luxury and tradition to assert that these performers are the true cultural pillars. By framing the “performed” self of a drag icon in the aesthetic of the elite, she offers a quiet but firm defiance against the erasure of identity, proving that the most effective way to protect a community is to make it impossible to ignore.
Painted directly on walls on Miami Beach.
Edition count: 11 unique
