Drag queen Onya Nurve wears her Northeast Ohio roots proudly on season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The Canton native and Cleveland Institute of Art alum came onto the drag scene in 2021 and since then has hit the ground running, performing all around Northeast Ohio and winning competitions such as Miss Addicted to Glamour Newcomer and being voted 2023’s best drag performer by Cleveland Scene readers. Her background in theater and art makes her one to beat on this season of Drag Race.
RELATED: The Transformation of Lady J
Onya — aka Justin Woody — is the first Cleveland area drag queen to be cast on RuPaul’s Drag Race since Akashia in the show’s first season back in 2009. The reality competition show has become a cultural phenomenon that shoots queens into stardom and gives them the chance to be America’s Next Drag Superstar, and win a cash prize, of course.
RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on MTV.
We sat down with Onya to hear more about her drag story.
Cleveland Magazine: You began your artistic journey as a painter, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art. How has your background in art influenced your drag style and persona?
Onya Nurve: I think I approach drag very authentically. A lot of what I’m drawn to comes from me as a person, I’m not necessarily building a persona. It’s kind of like an extension of who I am. A lot of my drag is built from my performance background and along the same lines of how I approach my artwork, just very conceptually. And through performance, I like the audience to kind of understand the way I am through the things that I wear or the song I do, or the way I perform it. It’s kind of like a conversation I have with the audience, and that’s the way I approach my artwork and my paintings. When I was painting I used a lot of different materials including found materials and a lot of things that didn’t include paint. So, when it comes to my drag, I pull from a little bit of everything. I don’t have a particular style, but it all stems from one place, you know?
CM: You have said that it’s important for you to represent Black culture in your drag. How has the Black culture of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio influenced you?
ON: I think as an artist, I recognize that a lot of the art world is centered around white men and what drag ends up doing is, aside from the art world, an introduction to that space. So I like to represent Black culture because it's not always represented in the art world and the Black world is not always represented in the drag world. We still have a lot of work to do. So, at all times I’m representing my culture in some way, shape or form just to interrupt that space that we are so used to being white.
CM: Do you have any favorite Cleveland venues or events where you love to perform?
ON: My favorite show that I did in Cleveland was probably Passing Strange at the Karamu House. It’s the oldest producing Black theater in the U.S., if I’m not mistaken. It was a very small cast of all Black actors and actresses. I played this character by the name of “Youth.” It was basically about this kid from California who travels to Amsterdam and Berlin to find himself. It was just the greatest thing I’ve ever done. It was the greatest music I ever heard. It was the greatest role I ever had.
CM: RuPaul’s Drag Race has a culture of its own. What do you hope your legacy will be as a performer on the show?
ON: I’m the first Cleveland queen on the show since 2009, so for me it’s a big deal that Drag Race was paying attention to, what I would consider, a small town girl like myself. I hope to encourage entertainers to keep following their dreams. I didn’t think something like this would ever happen and it did because I just decided to continue to do what I love. So, I hope that it encourages people to just keep following their dreams, because you never know what’s going to happen.
CM: If Onya Nurve had a signature cocktail, what would it be?
ON: You know, I’m going to keep it really classic. It would be the most perfect canned or bottled gin and tonic. The gin would be very floral and it would have like a limey touch to it. And it would be called “Onya Gin” and would be, like, very bubbly and very cute.
RELATED: Remembering Cleveland’s Viral TikTok Moments
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.
Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.
