May 2024 - Jaron Milman
Jaron Milman
Jaron is an 18-year-old artist from Barrington, Rhode Island. He is currently a senior at Barrington High School and will be pursuing a bachelor's degree in Studio Arts at Vassar College.
Art student by day; a drag queen by night, Milman has an established career as a drag queen. However, as of recently, many states have begun to employ legislation that targets and threatens drag performances in what Milman believes to be a deliberate attempt to repress the queer community's efforts for sexual equality. Milman remarks, “Drag is an essential part of queer culture; drag performers have played a crucial role in the sexual equality movements throughout American history, and as a queer person and a drag performer, I am deeply unsettled that my community's rights have become an increasingly controversial subject of political debate.”
Milman’s experiences as a performer and activist heavily inspire his artwork. His most recent body of work includes a series of caricature-like self-portraits featuring Milman’s signature lurid palette, exaggerated proportions, and artistic allusions through which he explores the significance of drag and feminine expression within the queer community.
Milman states, “With my art, I want to spread my message and actively educate about queer culture, remark on drag's prevalence and cultural significance, and celebrate the art. As an artist, I want to fight for my community’s place in the world.”
