dana w-queen (b. 1985) is a filmmaker, time-based video artist, and licensed barber in Richmond, Virginia. They hold a MFA in Visual Art from UC San Diego, and a BA in English from California State University, Long Beach. Their video and film work has been exhibited and screened across North America.
w-queen is developing research around the discursive histories of haircutting practices, spirituality and musicality in barber performance, queer hair expression, and significance of queer barber spaces.
In 2024, they opened Poetic Shifts, a thoughtful space for gender-affirming haircuts and organic conversation. The studio is a black, queer-owned and worker-run small business focused on serving artists, allies, and queer professionals.