by Steven Peice

Drag Divas – Self-expression – Movies

riginally from Mongolia, 22 year-old photographer and creative director, Steven Peice got his first camera when he was 18. Unable to afford college fees here as a non-Irish citizen, he chose to teach himself, and since then he’s gone from strength to strength. More recently Steven has been taking photographs of queer subjects, a big move for him, he says, given the attitude to LGBT+ people in his country of birth. His series, The Dreamers, portrays the queer power of transformation that drag queens embody.

“I feel that in a way drag has always been seen as a goofy entertainment, and there’s no real focus on how these men are actually transforming themselves into fully realised fantasies. With every single queen shot for this series, I chose them because was fascinated by how they could turn into somebody else, and have this beauty and elegance. Of course, love the glitter and glamour too.

I have a painting background; I’ve been painting since was a little kid. got my first camera when was 18 for my birthday, and before then was really introverted, always staying at home painting from these beautiful photographs. wanted to take the photographs myself.

Last year went through a period where started doing photography seriously and landed a magazine cover, and started getting more and more exposure and experience. wanted to use that platform that was beginning to have to not just take pretty photos of pretty girls in dresses.

I use my photography as an outlet for my creativity and also my emotion. make a lot of very personal photographs, lots of self-portraits. like to pay attention to detail, to things that only see, which might not be a big deal to other people. Every single time create a photograph, visualise everything beforehand. When take the pictures know exactly the kind of image want.

I grew up in Mongolia, in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. came to Ireland in 2008 with my family. It was a huge cultural change, but think I adapted very well, because had been teaching myself English since was seven years old. had a fascination with Western culture as a kid, with all the Disney princesses. think in a way all my photographs are like self-portraits, just because I practice so much on myself in terms of lighting and poses and ideas. I try to put a little bit of myself into every photograph. It’s kind of like putting these people in photographs in positions that would love to visualise myself in. It’s like placing myself into a Disney cartoon, or a grotesque situation, or a beautiful fashion editorial.

Maybe I’ve taken my structure from my Mongolian background. The school system there is very pushy, very formal. I remember coming here and doing maths in first year of secondary school that I’d done two years before. There’s the idea there that if you’re not doing your best, you’re a failure. don’t project that on myself, because it was so toxic. It’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve stayed away from that culture.

It was a big step for me to start taking photographs of queer people, and for myself to live openly. Knowing was gay from a very young age, in Mongolia it’s a very taboo subject. You grow up listening to people saying that being gay is horrible. remember seeing a Pride parade on TV when was about ten, before realised was gay, and it was like a whole world out there for me.

I am very influenced by film – no particular genre of film, but if it has a good soundtrack it usually has the most beautiful photography too. My favourite film of all time is Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers. was such an introverted kid, it just fascinated me that there was such life out there, and a sense of connection you could have with people. That’s what try to do with the people photograph. want to have that connection with them, to make them feel beautiful.”

Follow Steven on Instagram at @stevenpeice or contact him at stevenpeicephotos@gmail.com