For many of the artists in our collection, it is a feeling of otherness that is often at the core of their practices. In their works, they present a deeply intimate look at the many ways BIPOCs try to find balance, meaning, and agency in the space between multiple worlds. It is something that we personally feel a connection to as Asian-Americans; one hailing from Indonesia and the other a second-generation Japanese-Korean.
Alongside this focus, we have also found ourselves drawn towards explorations of female representation by female artists. In a world where many references of female bodies are viewed through a mostly white male gaze, the women whose works are in our collection represent some of the biggest forces to be reckoned with in challenging this. Through their practices, they are reclaiming their own representations, many times quite literally in using themselves in their works. The result is an offering of a new set of references for the world to pay attention to, one that many times also considers the intersectionality across gender and BIPOC identities.
We hope you come away inspired by the artists presented and are encouraged to learn more about their practices.