Kamahl laughs when I remind him of the reason for this interview, but none of us at Peril knew, long ago when the theme of this issue was chosen, that Kamahl would soon be thrust back into the spotlight.
“Let me tell you the origin of that phrase,” he begins in the voice that made him famous. I could try to describe its depth and resonance, the way it draws you in, but most of Australia, as well as international fans, know that already.
Flying out from Amsterdam from a November 13th …

Comments from Lian Low, prose editor of Peril.

Two perspectives on recent Indian-Australian issues by Angela Dewan and Amrita Dasvarma.

Alice Pung’s original introduction to “Growing Up Asian in Australia”.

PYUUPIRU
Interview by Owen Leong
Translated by Daisuke Harada, Alix Horngacher and Miki Matsumoto
Original Japanese transcript (PDF)
Pyuupiru is an artist living and working in Tokyo. Known for creating elaborate polymorphous three-dimensional works based on delusions and obsessions, her more recent ‘Selfportrait Series’ explores physical and psychological transformation. Created over several years, this work powerfully documents the artist’s experience of sex reassignment surgery. Pyuupiru has exhibited at the Yokohama Triennale and Yokohama Museum of Art. Her performance and installation work has also been commissioned at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. I caught up …

Five poems for Peril Issue 8- Why are people so unkind?

At the 2008 Melbourne and 2009 Adelaide Fringe Festivals, LOCA’s Ladies of Colour Cabaret show sold out every night they performed. Merge an Adelaide street magazine rated LOCA second in their “top ten most controversial, unexpected and weird moments” at the Adelaide Fringe. They came second only to Cunts – an exhibition of 140 porcelain sculptures of women’s vulvas. The Ladies hold this notorious nomination with great pride.

The three LOCA ladies – Lia, Rai and Loretta – met at Monash University as activists in the feminist, queer and …

Political pundits in Australia have it difficult sometimes. When your job requires making politics engaging—even outrageous—to the public, it’s taxing when the source material is so monumentally boring. Cast your mind over the past few months. The most interesting talking point Canberra has yielded has revolved around a ute. Did Kevin Rudd obtain this ute legally? Who has seen the documents related to this ute? Does the ute still exist? Where is the ute now? The ute, the ute! Man, it was tedious. While a politician like Silvio Berlusconi was …

HARUKA YAMADA
Interview by Owen Leong
Translated by Miyoko Hoshino
Original Japanese transcript (PDF)
Haruka Yamada is an emerging artist based in Tokyo and a recent graduate of the Joshibi University of Art and Design. Her latest work explores female fantasy, cross-dressing and sexuality. The artist invited women to describe their fantasies of an ideal boyfriend. She then transformed each woman into her ideal man through drag. The resulting work is a series of photographic portraits accompanied by narrative texts. I spoke with the artist after her recent solo exhibition at Galleria Nike.
PERIL: Can …

I had always wanted to become a surgeon. To save lives through action, backed by knowledge. To cut away death with a blade, so precise, that it would not know I was coming. I believed in the weapons forged from surgical grade steel.
I was not surprised, then, when I received a scholarship for my surgical elective at Saigon Hospital. I was a sterling achiever. School Captain. University President. An avid collector of titles and awards, the way others were drawn to figurines and comics.
My secret was sleeplessness. I was a …