Meet Kat Theadora | Photographer and Drag King

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kat Theadora and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kat, what are you inspired by?
So many things. Mostly other art forms, not really a lot of photography; if any, it’s usually film and pre-21st-century. I love drag artist so much it’s make up and dance in theater all at once. But then again, that’s also why I love weddings. My art is really just the ability to capture moments that others created. It’s all inspiration every time I push the button.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For me, I know I had no other choice than to pursue an artistic career. Really I always knew I was going to be an artist although I didn’t know what kind. I’m also chronically ill and the working world wasn’t really built for me. I need flexibility and more purpose. On top of logistical and reasons of the heart. I also am a sentimentalist and historian. I want my art to help tell the stories of the performers and couples and people that I capture. I want my drag shows to give you joy that changes your week. It’s what I meant to do if I meant for anything. pursuing art is never easy, I think any working artist will tell you that, but at the same time we have to do it. I was in college for six years and only took one class when I was 18 for photography. I hadn’t performed in five years by the time I did my first drag show. I got here by seeing challenges as new opportunities. Overcoming the challenges just produces better work most of the time. Mostly I’ve learned that even if I don’t like something I did, someone else probably will and that matters. My art really isn’t for me. It’s about the people that I’m capturing and the people who see themselves in those images. It’s about the people who feel special at a show. It’s about inspiring others to make more Art. It’s about showing people no matter what they feel like, they are beautiful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Creating a weeklong itinerary is extra fun now, as I live in the destination vacation spot. Keep in mind I’ve only lived here for a year, so I’m still on the hunt for exciting places. In fact, we’d probably spend a day going somewhere I’ve never been! We’d absolutely have stop in Ktown, get some boba from Tiger Sugar, Korean BBQ, and stop at the H-Mart. If we don’t spend at least one day in Malibu and eat some seafood on the beach, what was really the point? I do love Venice Beach for art shopping and it would be a great place to stop and get some birria tacos. For a nice indoor day, we would go to the American Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, and the LACMA for some art history.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
More than anything, I do what I’m doing now because of my wife. She has believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my own art more than anything. Besides, I owe a lot of my best work to her modeling. I also wouldn’t be here without my weed/drag mom, Roo. She may be back in the Midwest, but she made a lot of connections for me and really fleshed out a lot of my ideas and projects, not to mention my costume wardrobe!

Website: Ktheadora.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/ktheadora

Other: https://society6.com/ktheadora