Nymphia Wind Explained

Nymphia Wind
Birth Name:Leo Tsao
Birth Date:23 July 1995
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
Nationality:Taiwanese
American
Education:University for the Creative Arts (BA)
Years Active:2018present
Predecessor:Sasha Colby
Known For:RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 16) Winner
Relatives:Ts'ao Yung-ho (granduncle)

Nymphia Wind (Chinese: 妮妃雅‧瘋) is the stage name of Leo Tsao (Chinese: 曹米駬; born July 23, 1995),[2] [3] a Taiwanese-American[1] drag performer and dressmaker.[4] In 2024, she was crowned the winner of season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race, becoming the first East Asian winner of the franchise.

Early life

Leo was born in Los Angeles and raised in Hong Kong until the age of six when Leo's family moved to Taiwan.[5] [6] [7] Leo was bullied as a child due to gender expression, which led his mother to transfer him to the .[8] During high school, his interest in fashion was sparked by K-pop girl groups. Then, he developed a passion for drag, practicing dressing up and getting creative with makeup while studying at the university.[9] In 2017, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Atelier from the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester, England.

Career

Since 2018, Nymphia Wind began performing in Taipei.[10] Her first name "Nymphia" comes from the Japanese name of Pokémon character Sylveon, and her last name "Wind" means she likes to be free and invisible, also, "Wind" is a homophone of "craziness" in Mandarin. She is the mother of "House of Wind" (瘋家, use "craziness" in Mandarin).[11] Nymphia's signature color is yellow, as fashion choice and her Asian identity, and her performances often incorporate banana and Taiwanese cultural elements. She calls herself "Banana Buddha" and her fanbase as "Banana Believers".[12] [13] Outside of drag, she is a seamstress.

In 2019, Nymphia Wind won "NYX Face Award 2019 Taiwan". In early 2021, she won "Make a Diva Season 2" in Taiwan.[14] In late 2021, the documentary Leo & Nymphia was completed, which was nominated for the 57th Golden Bell Awards's Best Cinematography and screened at the 2022 Silver Wave Film Festival, the 2023 Thomas Edison Film Festival and the 2023 Queer East Film Festival.[15] Nymphia produced her first show, Bye Bye Nymphia~ Farewell Drag Show, which used a Taiwanese electric flower car as a stage, in June 2022 in Taipei. She is dedicated to combining her Taiwanese cultural significance and aesthetics in her drag performances.[16]

In August 2022, Nymphia Wind moved to Brooklyn to challenge her drag.[17] In early 2023, she won the competition “Mother Season 2” in New York. In 2024, she won the sixteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, becoming the first person of East Asian descent to win an installment of the American series, and the second queen of Asian descent to win after Raja Gemini.[18] Her victory also won praise from Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and was invited to perform at Taiwan's presidential office.[19] [20] [21] In May 2024, Nymphia was listed in the arts category on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2024.[22] Nymphia and the House of Wind are going to represent Taiwan as performers at the 2024 Cultural Olympiad in Paris.[23] [24] Nymphia Wind stated in May 2024 that the performance was to be titled Formosan Follies, and feature an all-Taiwanese cast.[25]

Personal life

Nymphia Wind lives in a supportive family with her mother, who often watches her shows and helps her drag.[26] Her granduncle was Ts'ao Yung-ho, a historian who specialized in the history of Taiwan.[27]

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Notes!Ref.
2021Leo & NymphiaDocumentary

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
2020Guess Who: My Bestie MomGuest
2024RuPaul's Drag Race (season 16)Contestant, Winner
Guest[28]

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020Jiang PlayHerselfGuest[29]
2021Make a Diva 2Contestant, Winner[30]
Youjena SalonGuest[31]
2023Meet the QueensStand-alone specialRuPaul's Drag Race Season 16[32]
Entertainment WeeklyGuest[33]
2024TaiwanPlus News[34]
Zoom In Zoom Out[35]
Whatcha Packin'[36]
MIB gives drag make over[37]
Newsweek[38]
Good Morning America[39]
Denali ON ICE[40]
Hey Qween![41]

Discography

YearTitleAlbum
2024"Power" (with the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16)Non-album singles[42]
"Queen of Wind"[43]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-01-05. Drag Race S16 Queens on What Inspires Their Drag . . Youtube.
  2. Web site: Leo & Nymphia . FilmFreeway.
  3. News: 葉 . 冠吟 . 2022-01-12 . 雙面曹里歐記錄變裝皇后日常 衝撞價值觀 . zh-TW . Leo & Nymphia records the daily life of a drag queen, colliding within values. .
  4. Web site: 2019-05-10 . These photographs lift the lid on Taipei's growing, energetic drag scene . 2023-12-06 . Dazed . en . 2023-08-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230825122950/https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/44349/1/banana-magazine-photographs-lift-the-lid-on-taipeis-growing-energetic-drag-scene . live .
  5. Web site: Morgan . Seb . 15 November 2019 . Nymphia Wind Shares Her Thoughts on Taiwan's Rising Drag Scene – Taiwan Scene . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231206163400/https://taiwan-scene.com/2019/11/15/nymphia-wind-shares-her-thoughts-on-taiwans-rising-drag-scene/ . 2023-12-06 . 2023-12-06 . en.
  6. Web site: 2023-03-02 . On Point With: Nymphia Wind . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230320230655/https://thotyssey.com/2023/03/02/on-point-with-nymphia-wind/ . 2023-03-20 . 2023-12-06 . Thotyssey . en.
  7. News: Chiang . Vic . 2024-04-18 . How a RuPaul's Drag Race finalist became an unlikely ambassador for Taiwan . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240603115305/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/18/rupaul-drag-race-nymphia-wind-taiwan/ . June 3, 2024 . live.
  8. News: 李 . 振豪 . 2024-04-20 . 【下一站天后妮妃雅1】台灣人登美國實境秀　被擁有上億粉絲的天后追蹤 . Queen Nymphia Next Stop 1 Taiwanese onto the American reality show that was followed by hundred millions of the Queen's fans . . ZH-TW . https://web.archive.org/web/20240507215706/https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20240419pol002 . May 7, 2024 . live.
  9. News: Yang . Evelyn . 2023-12-22 . Interview/Nymphia Wind blows into RuPaul's Drag Race as the First Taiwanese Queen . . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240518122118/https://focustaiwan.tw/culture/202312220014 . May 18, 2024 . live.
  10. Web site: Wind . Nymphia . 2022-06-02 . 《飛啊～妮妃雅》 蕉后掰掰演出募款 . Bye bye Nymphia farewell performance fundraising websites . flyingV . zh-TW.
  11. News: CHENG . SYLVIA . 2024-04-23 . 台灣第一人！變裝皇后妮妃雅Nymphia獲美國《魯保羅變裝秀》總冠軍，大喊「送給台灣！」Lady Gaga也來留言 . ZH-TW.
  12. News: Thomson . Jono . 2023-12-12 . 1st Taiwanese drag queen to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race . Taiwan News.
  13. News: Sim . Bernardo . 2023-12-06 . Meet the Queens of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 16 . Out.
  14. Web site: 2021-03-03 . 最終名次大揭曉High翻舞台魅力無限 FJ234 Make a Diva2 . YouTube . FJ234.
  15. News: 劉 . 宛欣 . 2022-10-21 . 金鐘獎／火辣變裝皇后霸氣登場！「金光閃閃全身都是洞」網驚：以為四面佛 . ETtoday星光雲 . ZH-TW.
  16. News: 2024-04-04 . Nymphia Wind Takes the Spotlight as the Cover star of "STARS" Edition by Hooks Magazine . The Hooks Magazine.
  17. Web site: 2024-08-19. Trixie TV Takeover: Nymphia Wind! . . YouTube . 2024-08-20.
  18. 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 16 cast revealed: Meet the new queens . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231206163443/https://ew.com/rupauls-drag-race-season-16-cast-revealed-8407797 . 2023-12-06 . 2023-12-06 . . en.
  19. News: 2024-04-22 . Drag queen’s RuPaul victory wins praise from Taiwan’s president . CNN.
  20. News: Choi . Christy . Chang . Wayne . 2024-05-16 . Drag queen Nymphia Wind performs at Taiwan’s presidential office . CNN.
  21. News: Yee . Lawrence . 2024-05-22 . Drag Race Winner Nymphia Wind Still in 'Disbelief' Over Performing for President of Taiwan (Exclusive) . People.
  22. Web site: 30 under 30 Asia 2024 . 2024-05-26 . Forbes.
  23. Web site: Ministry of Culture (Taiwan) . 2024-04-30 . 巴黎文化奧運臺灣館 展現民主自由孕育的島嶼新藝展 . . ZH-TW.
  24. News: Chao . Ching-Yu . Lo . James . 2024-04-30 . OLYMPICS/Taiwan to present 4 spotlight experiences at Paris Cultural Olympiad . Central News Agency.
  25. News: Tseng . Ting-hsuan . Wu . Kuan-hsien . OLYMPICS/Nymphia Wind to present Formosan Follies at Paris Cultural Olympiad . 12 May 2024 . Central News Agency . 12 May 2024.
  26. Web site: 2022-01-24 . Guess Who: My Bestie Mom . TaiwanPlus.
  27. News: 鄺 . 郁庭 . 2024-04-21 . 妮妃雅家牆上有「他」照片！她驚呆：一家來拯救人類文明的吧 . ETtoday . zh-TW.
  28. Web site: 2024-06-07 . 【完整版】閃耀世界的台灣蕉傲 變裝皇后 妮妃雅2024 0607｜李四端【大雲時堂】 . Youtube . ZH-tw.
  29. Web site: 2020-04-16 . 【完整版】台灣史上首位直男挑戰變裝皇后! 這部位這樣藏 讓他崩潰了! ?EP2│匠紫挑戰[Eng Sub] ]. YouTube . Project Hatcher 新創競賽實境秀 . Zh-TW.
  30. Web site: 2021-01-10 . 變裝皇后生死鬥 第2季 Make a Diva 2 . Youtube . Fj234 . ZH-TW.
  31. Web site: 2021-06-26 . 驕傲月！變裝皇后疫情在家無處表演？什麼是變裝？ 又仁 ft. 妮妃雅Nymphia、漢娜Hannah 【又仁娜沙龍-第一集】 . YouTube . 佑仁 . zh-tw.
  32. Web site: 2023-12-06 . MEET THE QUEENS OF SEASON 16! RuPaul’s Drag Race ✨ . Youtube . . en.
  33. Web site: 2023-12-16 . Nymphia Wind on Taiwan Military Service . Youtube . . en.
  34. Web site: 2024-01-12 . RuPaul's Drag Race Exclusive Interview With Nymphia Wind TaiwanPlus News . Youtube . TaiwanPlus News . en.
  35. Web site: 2024-01-15 . Taiwan Drag Goes Global . YouTube . TaiwanPlus News . en.
  36. Web site: 2024-05-15 . Nymphia Wind’s Whatcha Packin’ S16 TOP 3 RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 ✨ . Youtube . . en.
  37. Web site: 2024-03-04 . MIB Gives Nymphia Wind a TEXAS DRAG MAKEOVER! . Youtube . Mistress Isabelle Brooks.
  38. Web site: 2024-04-19 . RuPaul’s Drag Race Top 3 Sapphira Cristál, Nymphia Wind and Plane Jane . Youtube . . en.
  39. Web site: 2024-04-20 . Nymphia Wind is ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ 16th winner . Youtube . . en.
  40. Web site: 2024-04-29 . Denali ON ICE ft. Nymphia Wind . YouTube . Denali Foxx.
  41. Web site: 2024-04-30 . Rupaul’s Drag Race S16 Winner Nymphia Wind on Hey Qween Streaming On WOW Presents Plus . Youtube . . en.
  42. Web site: 2024-03-09 . Power . Spotify . The Cast of RuPaul's Drag Race.
  43. Web site: 2024-04-20 . Queen of Wind (Nymphia Wind) . . The Cast of Rupaul's Drag Race.

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