The Dragon Sisters: Issa Perez & Cain Coleman
I met Issa Perez while I was photographing Andrea Miller’s company Gallim at the Joyce Theater and was immediately beguiled by the power of the duet he performed.
I invited him to work with me in my studio and he asked if he could bring his artistic partner Cain (who also is known as Odessa) to join the collaboration. I agreed and the shoot quickly evolved into an exploration of their artistic and individual persona – a combination of duets as the sisters Issa and Odessa Dragon, and in individual portraits. We had a blast!
Issa and Odessa are not sisters, but they’ve been close friends and collaborators for over 10 years. They first met while they were studying dance at the North Carolina School. Soon after moving to New York, they decided to establish themselves as their own solo artistic entity—and so The Dragon Sisters were born.
Artistically they have extraordinary range and breadth: they combine rap and hip-hop music with unexpected elements like drag and classical dance in their performances and, as they explained to me, they set out for each show has an element of surprise: voguing, death drops, leg kicks, as well as more contemporary dance movement -– all perfectly in sync.
Both are highly theatrical by nature – and that shines through clearly in the portraits – but there is a deep intimacy and sensitivity beneath the bravado and humor of their meticulous and bold costuming, hair, and accessories.
Coming from the dance world, Issa and Odessa stand out because of their very tall, slender builds which, as they explained to me, often felt out of place. Their fashion choices are a part of how they have adapted to that insecurity, allowing them to reclaim and feel proud of their bodies.
And when they put three-inch heels on it meant I had to stand on a ladder to photograph them!
It was a joy both working with Issa and Odessa, but also observing, and I hope capturing, the delicate sensitivity of their partnership – represented in multiple small and special ways: the quiet whispering as they selected outfits, the detail of their nails and makeup, and their unspoken, seamless partnering on and off camera.
As always, I hope you enjoy these portraits and that you see Issa and Odessa as clearly as I do.
