Skin, Teeth, Nose, Eyes, Structure: FACE!
Skin, Teeth, Nose, Eyes, Structure: FACE!
Ballroom Culture.
“Ballroom culture, drag ball culture, the house-ballroom community, and similar terms describe an underground queer subculture, founded by black trans and queer folks, in which people "walk" (i.e., compete), perform, dance, lip-sync, and model in different categories, which are designed to simultaneously epitomize and satirize gender constructs, occupations, and social classes, while also offering an escape from reality. Category participants are required to “walk” one by one to receive full approval from all judges, known as ‘receiving your 10s’. Competitors are judged on their abilities, “effect” (costumes, appearance, theatrics, presentation), and perceived “realness” (embodied and/or visual believability, authenticity). Those who make their 10s battle one on one against each other for trophies, prizes, and glory.”
“Ballroom Culture.” VAN VOGUE JAM, www.vanvoguejam.com/ballroom-history. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Face - The Premier Category
Face is the very first category of the Ballroom and house scene. Its presence shows the continuity of the pageant aspect of the drag scene in its fullest effect. This is a vanity category where the main focus is the elements of the carta (face): the eyes, the teeth, the nose, the bone structure, and the skin. Just being attractive is not enough to get your tens, you must SELL and EMBODY face. The art of selling face is full body requiring the use of poses, hand movements, and the effect you wear to enhance the features you already possess.
“THE CENTER” Workshops
NYC LGBT Center named THE CENTER sponsors workshops by ballroom scene participants to teach and foster the upcoming generations about the art, history, and getting them ready to prepare for balls.
Terrence Mulan
is the quintessential definition of Butch Queen Face in which he has competed in the category for the last eight years, remaining undefeated for four. A direct descendant of Michael Princess and Erskine Christian, the first Butch Queen to compete in the ballroom scene, he has honed the craft of selling face not only through experience — winning at the first ever Ungodly Hour Ball, nominated six times for BQ Face Of the Year, and taking the trophy home as BQ & Supreme Face at the Iconic House of Juicy Couture’s G.O.A.T. Ball — but through a lifetime studying face and dance. With these tools at his volition, he’d go on to win Grand Prize Face at Icon Courtney and Shireen’s Reading Rainbow Kiki Ball at the New York Performing Arts Public Library where the winner was chosen to be featured in the library’s ten year archive of Face in the underground Ballroom scene. He’s also hosted workshops for not only Face but Old Way in his hometown in New York City, Toronto and Mexico. Currently, Terrence continues to compete in the BQ Face category where he is now Up and Coming Legendary status.
Design Intent
The flyer design draws inspiration from the visual balance of imagery and text found in magazines, with a nod to the vibrant aesthetic of party and ballroom flyers. Terrence provided images from photoshoots and ballroom events that celebrate and honor his history throughout his ballroom career.
The composition is built on a diagonal split, creating two sets of three sections. The first set is based on a nearly 45-degree diagonal, guiding the placement of Terrence’s images. The second set follows a conventional top–middle–bottom arrangement, which organizes the key workshop details—when, where, and at what time.
For the top-right corner, I selected a playful, visually dynamic typeface. While unconventional, it remains legible for shorter spans of text and creates an eye-catching first impression as someone scrolls down their feed. This typography style is reminiscent of flyers for niche NYC DJs and underground club events
A diagonal flow from the top right to bottom left showcases cut-out images of Terrence. The first image, from the 2023 Juicy Couture House Ball—where he won the “Butch Queen Supreme” category—is a significant highlight, instantly sparking interest. The middle section features other notable photographs from ballroom events across the United States and one in Germany.
Like the signature of a favorite artist on a poster, the phrase “with Terrence Mulan” is prominently featured, helping those unfamiliar with his work recognize his presence at future events. Anchoring the design is essential information about The Center, with its location in the bottom left and its logo on the bottom right, grounding the flyer both visually and contextually.
STUDIOSFX, 2025.