San Francisco museum features Nymphia Wind gowns exhibition

San Francisco, June 11 (CNA) An exhibition featuring gowns worn by Nymphia Wind opened Thursday at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum, with the artist saying she hopes the event will help to raise the profile of Taiwan and its culture.

Nymphia, the only Taiwanese drag artist to win the acclaimed reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race in 2024, attended the exhibition's ribbon-cutting ceremony and took part in a symposium.

Born in the United States and raised in Taiwan, Nymphia said her interest in Taiwanese culture has deepened over time, adding that she has recently been learning Indigenous handicrafts.

During the discussion, she expressed a desire to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture through the experience and further explore Taiwan's cultural diversity.

Nymphia said she hopes to raise Taiwan's visibility internationally, citing restrictions on Taiwan's participation in international organizations and sporting events. She said being open about her Taiwanese identity is especially important as a public figure.

The exhibition features three of Nymphia's signature gowns, including her iconic banana outfit, an off-white gown adorned with Taiwanese elements such as the Formosan clouded leopard and Mikado pheasant motifs worn during her crowning, and a purple dress inspired by traditional Taiwanese opera.

Appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race and performing to the best of her ability while representing both Taiwan and her Asian identity was especially meaningful to her, she said.

Thursday's event drew a full house, prompting the museum to add a second artist talk on Saturday due to popular demand. The session has since sold out.

Erin, a San Francisco resident attending the exhibition, told reporters that the showcase helped bring Taiwanese culture to a broader audience. She said the artistic style and cultural elements featured in Nymphia's work were not something commonly seen and found the experience striking.

Meanwhile, another visitor, Alexa, said she was impressed by the gowns' attention to detail, and that it was exciting to see Taiwanese culture reflected through fashion.

Nymphia's gowns will remain on display at the San Francisco museum through Sunday.