BECOMING ART AND ANIMAL: THE STRUGGLE OF PRESENTING THE DIVIDED SELF IN THE "FURRY" FANDOM

Abstract

The furry fandom -- one of the world’s most misunderstood subculture communities, struggles with the freedom of self-representation and expression on an individual level, while also facing the challenges of being stigmatised by the general society around them. As a community that relies heavily on art, in the form of illustrations, merchandising and costume crafting and performance, furries pursue a focus on the “divided” self (Bullingham & Vasconcelos 7), compiling selected traits and qualities of their known selves that they curate into animal avatars known as “fursonas”. The sense of ownership over one’s self-discovery process and personal avatar is seen to be threatened by power struggles between artists and commissioners, furry celebrities and their fans, as well as the aforementioned stigma from the greater community outside the fandom. This thesis will examine case studies within the furry fandom and those outside it that have affected an individual and collective sense of self-confidence. It will attempt to perhaps expose the issues that prevent the furry community from being a safe space for artistic expression and self-performance, and investigate the efficacy of the measures taken by community members to protect their ability to perform the “furry-self” and the paradoxes therein.