#jdraws

sol koroleva

“hanfu” refers to articles of cultural dress worn by the han people of china (there are 55 other ethnic minorities in the country). the word is a bit of an umbrella term, encompassing several different styles that evolved over 3,000+ years, numerous dynasties & their ever-shifting trends.

alina’s hanfu here is in the qixiong ruqun style that was popular during the tang dynasty. it’s composed of a short blouse (ru), a long skirt tied high on the chest (qun) & a long, wide-sleeved robe (dá xiù shān). other accessories include the hē zi (a strapless garment tied across the chest & over the skirt) & pī bó (a long scarf draped over the arms).

the huadian is an element of traditional makeup that was most frequently worn during the tang & song dynasties. there are a few stories of its origin, one of the most popular of which is an attribution to princess shouyang of the southern dynasty. according to legend, a plum blossom drifted from a tree as the princess was lounging outdoors. it stayed fixed to her forehead for 3 days, after which it was washed away, the petals leaving a stain. other palace women found the mark endearing & so incorporated the flowers into their own beauty routines. these purely decorative designs are typically floral & either painted or pasted on with stickers, though materials such as fish scales, gold foil, feathers & jewels have also been used.

some creative liberties were taken with untraditional patterning on the hanfu & deciding to exchange huadian’s common botanical motif for a little sun.

the lovely @mayannecosplay ’s photos inspired this doodle & the specific style of hanfu drawn. do check out her stunning content!

alina starkov belongs to leigh bardugo.
please do not repost or edit this caption.
but do find me on instagram :3

divine feminine.

HEY, YOU.

YEAH, YOU.

the girl who picks outfits based on how much of her body hair she feels like being hyperaware of that day. who grew up feeling pressured to shave her arms & legs, wax her sideburns & upper lip, pluck her brows -

the one with broad shoulders, a wide ribcage, “overly developed” muscles, narrow hips & smaller curves -

the woman of color who’s been masculinized for her darker skin, sharp jaw & strong nose -

LOOK AT ME.
____

you’re perfect.
i promise.

if you move through the world thinking of yourself as a feminine person, you are feminine. period.

whether or not it’s an everyday thing & regardless of if you choose to express it outwardly or visually. the way your body looks has nothing to do with it.

conventionality is boring & deeply flawed. take names, kick ass. if anyone tries to fight you - me, my noodle arms & fear of confrontation will square up too.

do not repost or edit caption.
find me on instagram :3

“and if…if i wished for more?”

zoya & nikolai belong to leigh bardugo.
please do not repost or edit caption.

she from the sea 

for the ones who identify with the oceans
and whose roots have known many lands -

stretched beside those of sweet cane,
cut by laborers’ hands.

i draw brown girls all the time, but am overdue for a piece on my own history ().

during the 19th & early 20th century, over 1 million indians were brought from their homelands to various european (primarily british) colonies as replacement laborers for recently emancipated african enslaved peoples.

these included various nations in south america, the caribbean, africa & asia, such as guyana , trinidad & tobago , suriname , jamaica , grenada , st. lucia , st. kitts , st. vincent, fiji , mauritius , sri lanka , malaysia , kenya & south africa . here, indentures worked on plantations for the colonizing countries who owned them for a certain length of time.

in some instances, the indentureship system was wholly consensual, but far too often it involved coercion, misinformation & kidnapping. many entered into contracts unaware of the terms they were agreeing to & the freedoms they were signing away.

i’ve linked a playlist of podcast episodes for anyone interested in learning more. some topics touched on include:

- the pieces of south asian tradition that persisted, what was lost, & the amazing hybrid cultures that came to be
- the origins of the word “coolie” & why most believe those outside the culture shouldn’t use it
- how colonizers pit indian & black communities against each other & resulting anti-blackness in the indo-caribbean community
- other lasting effects of colonization (alcoholism, weakened economies, gender-based violence, etc.)
- the (sometimes tense) relations between descendants of indian indenture & individuals more directly from south asia

of course these tiny lists are not exhaustive, nor do they cover the entirety of this corner of the south asian diaspora. maybe, though, it’s enough to encourage a deeper look into our often overlooked history.

thank you to @mjenai.art for the title & inspiration, and to @haani_beee, who identifies with the oceans <3