“Use an unacceptable color”

For this week of making via Oblique Strategy, the prompt “Use an unacceptable color” really stood out to me. I’m thinking a lot about how Asians are represented in media right now, and it made me think about the color that’s mainly associated with Asians: Yellow. I wanted to try and experiment with different abstract portraits, so this week I tried out line art for the first time. I made 6 portraits of popular Korean Idols and actors, but tried to make them look abstract and only colored them in with the color yellow. I wanted them to look the way people would see them if they only saw color. An Asian person is yellow and that’s it. I don’t agree with that sentiment, but I wanted these portraits to reflect that. Completely opposite from what I want my Capstone project to reflect, these portraits don’t tell a story and only show what you’d see on the surface. A person with yellow skin.

Experimental Abstract Expression

My first try at digital realism and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I’m inspired to see other expressions I can express and portray through this form of art. I really enjoyed making this and I definitely want to make more.

Asian Representation in Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021)

After watching “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, I had a feeling that this movie would be a turning point for Asian representation in movies. With an Asian-American director and predominantly East Asian cast, the story was able to highlight the Chinese folklore and martial arts beautifully. The attention to detail when it came to the spoken language, the settings, the styling, the characters and the story itself came together to create an amazing story they highlights Chinese heritage. I was really impressed by the part when they enter the magical world and see the Chinese mythical creatures for the first time. It didn’t feel cheesy/corny/racist in any way. They were really careful to create this world that these creatures could live in without changing the folklore they’re from. A lot of respect was paid and I loved it. I also really loved that this film broke boundaries and didn’t follow the stereotypes that Asians would be typecast in. I do wish I saw more South and Southeast Asians, but since the story is mainly about the Chinese culture, I think the majority East Asian cast makes sense in this context. I’m really inspired by this film to take what I’ve learned about people and their stories and create a portrait that beautifully highlights who they are.

It really sucks to see that there is an actual prejudice that can be calculated against specific types of Asians. The stereotype that we have low assertiveness plays into people not thinking we’re capable of being in a leadership position. There are a good number of leadership styles (I found 9), but how come people don’t think Asians, specifically East Asians are fit for the role? I honestly think this whole article is sort of bull because it is very focused on the “fact” that Asians (East Asians specifically apparently) are culturally known to communicate less assertively… I get that companies in America should acknowledge less rigid, authoritarian leadership styles, but I don’t appreciate the constant phrase that all Asians are the same in which we are quiet and obedient. It just pushes that stereotype forward.

Like what even is this conclusion? “In summary, the current research has revealed that EAs—but not SAs—hit the bamboo ceiling, partly because EAs communicate less assertively. The bamboo ceiling is not an Asian issue, but an issue of cultural fit—a mismatch between EA norms of communication and American norms of leadership.” Sure, they’re not lumping all Asians together by specifying South and East Asians, but news flash… THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “EA NORMS”. NOT ALL EAST ASIANS ARE THE SAME. NOT ALL EAST ASIANS ARE LIKE THAT. Again, I understand that some Asians can be more quiet than others so yes, the leadership expectations in America should be changed, but assuming that all East Asians are inherently quiet is an ill-formed stereotype that just makes it difficult for those who don’t fit that description.

Chicago Style Citation: 

Lu, Jackson G., Richard E. Nisbett, and Michael W. Morris. “Why East Asians but Not South Asians Are Underrepresented in Leadership Positions in the United States.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 9 (2020): 4590–4600. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918896117. 

The Reason I Jump (2021)

So I recently watched “The Reason I Jump” and it’s very insightful to say the least. For the entirety of the documentary, you follow the lives of five young people who live with autism spectrum disorder.

It was a really interesting watch. Our perception normally would be to see the bigger picture or just what’s in front of us, but they see the world with a more refined lens. This documentary is very good at showing that people with autism are able to notice the finer details of many things pretty much all the time. The cinematography of this film is very intricate in order to depict that. The up close shots, very quick movement, and fine tuned sounds bring you into their world. Of course, I’ll never know what it’s like to live with autism, but the sensory interpretations were very eye opening to what it’s like for them every day. It was very interesting to view the experience of autism and how they’re just at the mercy of the able bodied people around them.

A stigma against those with autism is that they can’t feel emotions and are unruly and unable to control, but the thing is, they feel emotions the same as the rest of us. They just react a little differently. They have more physical reactions that are related to their emotions but that’s something that shouldn’t be looked down upon or hated. I guess throughout this watch, I was able to learn about what they go through, their struggles with living in a world that despises their existence, but they’re still strong and able to live happily with the able bodied people that care about them.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“When I’m jumping, it’s like I’m shaking loose the ropes that are tying me down… as if my feelings are going upwards to the sky.”

“Please don’t assume that every word I speak is what I intend to say.”

Talking about their education: “They have denied our civil rights.”

Megan Hammer (@schizophrenic.nyc) : Schizophrenic.NYC

https://www.schizophrenic.nyc/

The art she creates ties to her mental health. She uses her art to express herself and says the busier it is, the more anxiety she was probably feeling. It’s a good way to show how you feel without using words. I want to try and make art that speaks to the person whose story I’m portraying and I plan to work closely with them to make sure the finished piece properly expresses their feelings and everything they want to get across.

I’ve been following the creation of “Avatar: the Last Musical” for a couple months now, and I find it very inspirational how they are taking a wonderful story and setting it to music. The composition of each song is very careful in making sure the proper representation is given to the nations each tribe represents. It is very heavy in Asian and Indigenous representation, so the fact that they take the time to make sure each culture is highlighted properly while also not sacrificing the story is very admirable. Composing music for my project is a maybe as of right now, but I definitely want to get into the writing of at least lyrics or something simple to get the ball rolling in that direction if it feels right.

30 Second Capstone Recap Video

Dear Asian Youth (@dearasianyouth) https://www.instagram.com/dearasianyouth

An instagram account I follow that aims to empower asian youth into intersectional activism. They always post great graphics that contain information on important cultural issues and events that are happening in the world. It’s a very informative platform that uses social media to inform and support the AAPI and other POC communities. Again, I don’t want to copy this as I want my pieces to be physical, but I appreciate the sentiments and efforts that go into running this page that supports thousands of people in my community.

This is my Capstone Resources Catalog. I’m working on getting everything I’ve seen/read and things I’m planning on viewing all compiled in this one document.

DuJaun Kirk (@dujaunn) : “Blasculinity”

https://www.visualartandtech.net/dujaun-kirk

I actually really love DuJaun’s Capstone project. How he uses the platform he has to advocate for his community and pushes for mental health support is something I want to try and achieve as well. He breaks boundaries by getting testimonies from others and tries to break the chains of the stereotypes black people, specifically black men, suffer from. I don’t think I want to make it an online magazine since I want the pieces to exist in a physical space, but the sentiment of his project is very similar to what I had in mind.

Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (@alonglastname​) : “I Still Believe in Our City”

https://www.istillbelieve.nyc/ This is closest to what I really want to do for my project. With the current state of society, and the rise in hate crimes towards asians, this art series/public awareness initiative pushes for anti-hate towards the AAPI community. I may want to have some different mediums to fit more to the person’s story I’m representing, but to have a collection of things that would look cohesive is one of my goals.

7 days of summer style🍯

Photo editing practice🤧

AA (Revised Proposal Statement)

I am interested in the mental health and self-care of Asians in America because I want to learn about the experiences of others in my community that may be different from mine in order to create physical pieces that can be acknowledged and understood by both those within and outside of the Asian community.