Hyphen (self-portrait) is a seven screen/projection installation portraying how the media is able to control minorities, in this case Asian Americans, through stereotypes, representations, and tropes. Asian Americans are often understood through fiction or media representation rather than how each individual Asian American wants to be identified.
Hyphen (self-portrait) showcases the often contradictory nature of these multiple tropes that the Asian American has to adhere to. Each screen is a montage of representations of Asian Americans in the mass media or are absurd depictions of my own identity. A floating piece of washed out kimchi, derogatory words perpetuated by the media, the model minority, the crazy K-town partying life are just some of the pieces of this multi-media installation.
At first glance, the viewer may not know where to look and that is the whole point. My identity, is often confusing and terrifying. There are so many representations that I have to mold to even if they are contradictory and sometimes it feels like I have no authority to define who I am.