Drag Queens at Home: Jan Klos goes ‘behind the scenes’ to capture drag performers off stage

"Home is another extension of a person’s identity, and I wanted to juxtapose the carefully crafted drag alter ego with the day-to-day identity of their creator, in effect marrying the two personas and giving a full and layered picture of each sitter’s identity," Jan explains. "In essence, I like to think about it as a series of artist studio visits. On the stage, it’s like seeing an artwork in the gallery but we never get to see where the art has been created."

The inspiration behind the series, Drag Queens at Home, came from Jan's fascination with drag and how it can transform a person. "Not only in terms of the looks but also in terms of character," he adds. "I don’t mean it in the way how actors get into their characters on the stage – it makes people happier. I think drag is a form of modern therapy, you can become anyone/thing you want to be which is freeing and empowering."

Based in London, Jan Klos is an award-winning photographer whose work is a blend of documentary, portrait and fashion photography. He’s interested in notions of home, belonging and the ever-changing canvas of culture. Discover more: www.janklos.com.