Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Anderson, Kim

Area of Concentration

Art, Chinese Language and Culture

Abstract

In America, the Chinese transracial adoptee sits in a unique position between two cultures with few opportunities to properly explore that position. As a Chinese transracial adoptee myself, I explore my own cultural identity through my artwork and dissect the many facets of my upbringing that have contributed to my sense of identity. Lack of Asian, and specifically adoptee, representation in the media paired with conflicting expectations of Chinese women in America fuel an ongoing feeling of being an outsider that has informed my work and discussion. Artists like Xu Bing and Rina Banerjee, who similarly work with culturally significant materials, also inspire my artistic process by encouraging me to consider how culture can be synthesized into a visual format. Through interactive and emotionally resonant artist’s books, I encourage the viewer to dive into my headspace and experience the tension that can be felt being stuck between two cultures as they reflect on their own cultural identity. I do this in order to contribute to the underrepresented voices of Chinese transracial adoptees who are often overlooked within the Asian American community.

Download

Share

COinS