Meet the Real Drag Queens of Abidjan photographed by Ngadi Smart.

For years, members of the drag community in Abidjan, a city on the coast of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, would meet in underground venues and participate in a Ball-like competitions. The Queens would show off their talents and ensembles, all with the hope of winning the grand prize- cash. But the events fizzled out, mostly due to the anti- LGBTIAQ+ stance in the country; however, that did not stop two of the most prominent Queens, Baba and Britney, from continuing to embrace their dazzling drag identities.

Baba and Britney are the subjects of visual artist, photographer and illustrator Ngabi Smart’s new series, The Queens of Babi. “Both have ambitions that reach beyond drag. Both are also aware of the difficulties of creative work like this in Côte d’Ivoire—from the cost of items like makeup, accessories, and outfit fabrication to even finding a tailor who would agree to work on their outfits. All these remarks sadly point to the elephant in the room: The culture of drag and LGBTQ+ identity is still not as readily accepted within the confines of modern African society,” explains Smart in an interview with Atmos.

All images by Ngadi Smart.