Personality (2018)

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I created this series as part of my final portfolio for my Introduction to Digital Art class at Scripps College. In light of the recent news and discussion surrounding Asian American stereotypes (especially in relation to personality), I created a series of photographs that serve as a point of comparison for expectation and reality. In day-to-day life, Asians and Asian Americans are often associated with labels of being hardworking, studious, and competent, but also quiet, one-dimensional, and lacking in personality. I wanted to defy these common perceptions by depicting Asian individuals in two different states (one seemingly lacking in personality and the other expressing personality), to show that though each person can or may exhibit qualities that conform to Asian stereotypes, we must look beyond our expectations to see the depths and layers of personality that each person possesses.

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The portraits have a focus on Asian-identifying females, as women are often further oppressed and stereotyped in both real life and in mass media. As a student in a women’s college, I wanted to showcase Asian females through a lens that allowed them to defy the myth that we are the silent, forgotten minority, and in turn celebrate our individualism and intersectional identities. Two particular artists that I was inspired by for this series were Zanele Muholi and Whitney Bradshaw.

 

Portrait photography is the focus of both artists. Muholi is a South African artist who identifies as a visual activist, and she uses portraits to advocate on behalf of the South African LGTQ+ community. Bradshaw’s series Outcry also serves as a form of activism: her photographs depict women who are screaming as a response to the traditional silencing of women. I took stylistic and theoretical inspiration from both women's works, creating a series of works that aimed to serve as a political but still light-hearted response to current events.

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See the amazing works of my fellow classmates here.