By Katie Adams
Art by Oshins & Katie
If you truly love something, you'll find a way to do it no matter what. While studying Communications Design full-time here at Pratt Institute, my close friend Michael Flynn embodies this drive by transforming into Oshins, a drag queen who performs for audiences at a local venue on late nights. Michael is a second-year student, who I met last year while we were both freshmen. We immediately hit it off, bonding over a shared sense of humor that felt like a secret language and reading each other with clever insults. The first time I went to his room was to
grab something before going to the dining hall, but his artwork on the walls struck me. His art style is dramatic and intense, while also clearly technically refined. After knowing him for merely a week, it became quite clear that his creativity and understanding of art extended far beyond the canvas.
After spending long days in studio classes and pulling all-nighters to complete his artwork, not to mention 9 a.m.’s on the Manhattan campus, he somehow taps into more creativity after hours—not only becoming an artist once again, when most of us are catching up on sleep or work but also becoming his art. Oshins is a firecracker you can’t look away from, I can say so after having seen her rise from the ground up. It’s never just the makeup, the wigs, or the outfits, it’s the way Michael taps into a well of creativity and confidence, channeling it all
into his performance. When Michael becomes Oshins, he becomes a performer in its purest form, ambitious, dramatic, and tantalizing. Oshins is larger than life, a full embodiment of everything powerful, erotic, and grandiose. It’s as if she, Oshins, surpasses the every day and steps into a world where art, identity, and performance are inseparable.
Being an art student and doing drag full-time seems nearly impossible to me, but to Michael, both art forms benefit the other. As he puts it, “Drag influences my art because it makes me feel like that bitch. It reminds me that technical ability is second to your own individual story. Be exactly who you are as an artist, whether that’s simple, over-the-top, or the perfect mix of both.” Michael knows himself better than most people our age, and I believe so much of that is because of drag. He seems to have discovered the secret to being bold and
unapologetic not only in his art but in life. Being an art student also comes with many advantages in the drag world. Michael studies anatomy, shading, and contour in class, and he's able to apply those skills after hours in his drag transformations. “It’s not just about looking pretty—it’s about crafting a character and making it feel real,” he says. This blend of technical skill and personal expression deepens his understanding of both art and performance, allowing
him to push creative boundaries I could barely fathom.
The aspect of this double life that baffles me most is Michael’s ability to balance the two. He says that to really exceed in his creativity, he forces himself to prioritize school work, as boring as it sounds. He can take drag seriously at the same time, similar to a part-time job, but he also knows that his schedule as a student is always predictable, and with the cost of tuition and dedication needed to succeed, Pratt must come first. Quantity falls behind quality when it comes to his drag outings, which occur around a few times a month. He does his best to make connections with other queens, talk to everyone at the bar, and absorb as much of the energy as possible. Michael is in no rush to be a booked and busy diva, he has learned to have patience with himself and his creativity so that when he is out of college, Oshins will know exactly “what to serve and how to serve it.”
Michael was visibly excited to talk about how much the drag community influences him. He claims all of the confidence and conviction in Oshins is supported and held up by other queens with which he shares a sisterhood-like bond. This does not surprise me in the slightest, as anyone who has been to a drag show or bare witness to the thriving and devoted community.
His journey began by entering competitions upstate, where he first encountered a strong sense of community and mutual support. He particularly values the way each queen isn’t afraid to read another to filth, delivering critiques for the purpose of growth and craft. Drag, for him, is not just about putting on a polished show; it's about forming meaningful connections and receiving the
honest feedback necessary to evolve as an artist. Michael’s confidence as Oshins is rooted in the sisterhood he shares with other queens—whether through advice, shared resources, or simply providing opportunities to perform.
Michael's dedication to both his art and his drag is a testament to how passion and self-discipline can coexist. It’s inspiring to see someone pour so much of themselves into multiple forms of creativity without compromising either. Whether it's his design work or the way he brings Oshins to life, Michael’s artistry is as limitless as his ambition.
You can find Oshins and keep up with her performances on Instagram and TikTok
@oshins.the.queen