Asian American Home
Film Photography
2020
Artist Statement:
Asian American Home is a more intimate study of my home and its cultural background through large-format photography. Understanding nationality, race, and culture is a common theme that flows throughout this body of work.
In exploring my family, comprised of a first-generation Asian American mother, a white father, and a mixed child, I wanted to document my observations and my ongoing understanding of Asian Americans. More specifically, I focused on the dynamics between my mixed brother (Timothy), my mother (Rose), and my white father (Dan), and compared the cultural dynamics.
While photographing my brother, he revealed that around certain friend groups, he feels or identifies as more white, and other times as more Chinese. For example, when he’s surrounded by people who strongly identify as Asian, he identifies more as white. On the other hand, when he is surrounded by Caucasians or people who are primarily white, he feels very Asian. Throughout this process, discussing cultural identities with my family members has helped me connect with my roots and delve deeper into my heritage.
Medium: Large Format Photography
