by: Angela nguyen
While I am not mixed race, being Vietnamese American has its struggles that are quite similar to those that are biracial. There are instances where I appear as too American due to the way I dress, talk, and eat around those that are full Vietnamese. While I may appear as a traitor to them, I am actually very acculturated and knowledgeable about my Vietnamese identity. Therefore, for my artwork, I wanted to portray myself wearing the traditional Vietnamese American dress - Ao Dai, to essentially reciprocate the stereotype. Inspired by “Doing the Mixed-Race Dance” by Kieu Linh Caroline Valverde, I wanted to use the Ao Dai as a cultural badge to show that I have understood the strategies to mold myself within the different categories made by various Vietnamese communities.
For my artwork, I chose to do a graphite sketch of myself because the indefinite lines symbolize my confusion at times regarding my identity. I chose to imprint a phoenix on the Ao Dai to symbolize my understanding of an aspect of the Vietnamese culture, modesty and nobility. Modest in a sense that I while I am aware of my culture at times, I choose not to show it and noble in a sense that regardless of what people think of me, I know my own goodness. Moreover, because the phoenix is a creature that possess the best features of other creatures, including the rooster’s head, jaw of a swallow, the snake’s neck, the tortoise’s back, and a fish’s tail, I wanted to show that while the bird is ‘mixed,’ it is a sacred bird.
Your mentioning of Professor Valverde's text is very useful as it allows to me further understand how you must present yourself under the contextual barriers put on you because of your race. I read a lot of confidence and assurance in this piece, seen from the fine details in the phoenix to your happy expression. I also like how you chose to draw yourself in an Ao Dai and the explanation of the Phoenix in your statement is very well-done. No need for improvement found!
ReplyDeleteYour statement explains well what you are trying to portray in your art. At first, I was confused about the bird. However, its serves as a symbol that you expressed well in your statement. The bird being composed of different animals to produce a sacred being is relevant to how our mixed race discussions had been going. Being composed multiracially challenges the unidimensional dynamics of eugenics, but your bird symbolizes it otherwise. I can also relate to your challenge as a bicultural Asian American, as I am too. Your drawing of yourself in an Ao Dai represents that part of your identity that came from just being biologically "Vietnamese." Overall, good job on your drawing and statement :)
ReplyDeleteI thought your artist statement was great, especially when you explained the importance of the Phoenix in your piece. The choice of art tool to bring it to life was also a nice touch because it creates this dreamy haze instead of a strong and bold look. I relate to you as well when you talked about how people think you're not Vietnamese enough (except for me, my own races) and it's a struggle that I've dealt with for as long as I can remember. I think this made the piece that much for personal for audiences that can relate
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea behind your image is very good. I like how you drew yourself in the traditional Vietnamese dress. Your artist statement also does a great job in explaining your image. I would only advise you to use color in order to really bring to life the uniqueness of the Vietnamese attire and show how important that is to your identity.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me most was your description of the phoenix. I knew about the creature, but did not realize that it too was made up of various animals. I loved your explanation of being acculturated to your Vietnamese roots and showing that through your image wearing the traditional Ao Dai. Additionally, I enjoyed reading your explanation on identity lines as represented through your lightly sketched portrait.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your meaning you wrote about the phoenix or else I would assume that wearing the Ao Dai indicates that you are reborn. I am not sure if you scanned this or not, but I really like the simplicity of the portrait. If you scanned it, I believe that the scanner really ruined the quality.
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