Performer Justin Vivian Bond Provides Insights on Today's Cultural Scene
Transformation:
Justin Vivian Bond shines brightly as a performer, singer, and artistic rebel, weaving together captivating songs and a shape-shifting personality across the art world. Their spellbinding work is found in museums like the New Museum in New York, Participant Inc, and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
In 2024, the MacArthur Foundation honored Bond with a "genius grant" for their work that "merges cabaret tradition with cultural critique and an ethic of care, with performances that uplift queer joy." Bard College also celebrated their spirit by granting an honorary degree during the commencement ceremony, acknowledging their "decade-long journey through the gender landscape" that has contributed significantly to conversations around gender identity and LGBTQ+ rights.
During Pride Month, Bond takes centre stage at Joe's Pub, a renowned Manhattan cabaret sanctuary that serves as their second home. For the 2025-2026 season, they will curate a showcase of performances by other artists as the venue's Vanguard Resident. During a return to London in July, Bond teams up with pianist Kenny Mellman to reprise the beloved duo Kiki & Herb, donning the role of a worn-out, booze-swilling, pill-popping elder doyenne on the verge of better days.
We caught up with Bond in their sanctuary adorned with a dramatic Joan Crawford shower curtain for an enlightening discussion on the cultural zeitgeist, their evolving political activism, and the survival tactics for marginalized communities.
Conversation:
Hey, you've got shows coming up soon at Joe's Pub. What can we expect as the final curtain falls?
JVB: "Well, Well, Well" is the third in a series. "Oh Well" was last fall, "Well, Well" was in May, and "Well, Well, Well" starts June 18 and runs until June 29. I've long wanted to produce a show devoted to excellent lesbian singer-songwriters. Designer Erdem did a collection based on The Well of Loneliness that inspired me, so he provided me clothes from the collection to wear for the show. It's a bit of a cross-pollination inspired by the book, the designer, and amazing lesbian tunesters. Since the trans community is struggling so much, I decided to weave some trans singers into the mix, too.
What struck you about Radclyffe Hall’s book?
JVB: Let's be honest: I never fired up the ol' Kindle for it! [Cackles.] I did, however, delve into Radclyffe Hall's relationship with gender and iconography. Radcliffe's union with Una Troubridge was indeed groundbreaking and subversive, serving popular nonbinary looks and butch-femme dynamics. That's what grabbed my imagination.
Four years have passed since the "Trigger" show at The New Museum, an exhibition of your work that explored gender as a tool and weapon. Looking back, how do you feel about it now?
JVB: The show marked several special memories in my career. One was staging my first exhibition in a museum. Another was welcoming my mom, who subsequently passed away, and the rest of my family to view my art. They saw pieces I crafted as a teenager through adulthood, making for a memorable experience that connected us on a new level.
How would you describe your relationship with Joy Episalla and fierce pussy, the queer art collective she helped create?
JVB: I crossed paths with Zoe Leonard first before meeting the rest when I was living in San Francisco. Years later, when I moved to New York, I decided to adorn my loft with a fierce pussy poster proclaiming, "I AM A lezzie butch pervert girlfriend bulldagger sister dyke AND PROUD!" Someone did a photo shoot and spotted their work on my walls. We struck up a conversation, leading to my first show at Participant Inc that sparked a bond. In 2019, we were arrested together in Washington, D.C., near the Supreme Court, joining forces as the "Lipstick Brigade."
How does it feel slipping back into Kiki's persona for your upcoming performances in London? How has your relationship with her changed over the past few decades you've been playing her?
JVB: The Kiki persona has evolved with me. Initially, it was a response to the painful AIDS epidemic that gripped the world when I was young, offering a way for me to express anger and frustration while also retaining a sense of humor. As we reached Off-Broadway in 2003, though, I grew weary of her, and the duo took a break for a time. My new feelings of rage, however, may make the return to the character organic and invigorating.
What do you see ahead for the trans and queer communities, who face a precarious and dangerous time under current administration?
JVB: The stakes are high for many, but I recognize my privilege as a cisgender, white, successful trans woman who has known hardship alongside joy. I feel anger for my community, but also for all marginalized people who are suffering under current policies. I try to be hopeful, as I have faith that we will endure, adapt, and continue to fight. We may not achieve victory today, but our persistence will prove crucial in ensuring a brighter tomorrow.
- Justin Vivian Bond, the artist, will be curating a showcase of performances by other artists at Joe's Pub for the 2025-2026 season, blending excellent lesbian singer-songwriters with trans singers, as a part of their evolving lifestyle.
- Bond's artwork, including drawings and installations, can be found in museums such as the New Museum, Participant Inc, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, showcasing their journey through the art world.
- Education-and-self-development institutions like Bard College have recognized Bond's contributions to culture and gender identity conversations, awarding them an honorary degree to celebrate their decade-long journey.
- In addition to their work in the art world, Bond also engages in entertainment, reprising their famous role as a worn-out, booze-swilling, pill-popping elder doyenne in the duo Kiki & Herb performance in London's museum scene.
- Despite the political challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, Bond remains hopeful and determined, focusing on survival tactics for marginalized communities and continuing their activism efforts as a reminder of the importance of perseverance for a better tomorrow.
