Opening Reception:

Friday, January 17th
6-8pm 

On view Jan 17 - March 29

 

 

Category: Asian Man features paintings of Asian male performers from the gay pornographic website SeanCody.com, who appeared between 2003 and 2020. Of more than 1,400 models featured during this period, only 17 were identified as Asian. Non-white models were categorized with tags like "Black Man," "Asian Man," or "Latin Man," while white models were often left untagged or labeled more generically as "American Man." This distinction raises questions about whether the inclusion of these models was a step toward greater representation or reinforced fetishization and othering. The artist uses these performances as a microcosm to explore the broader media landscape, where Asian men have long been underrepresented, particularly in romantic or sexualized roles. This ongoing erasure perpetuates the invisibility of Asian men as objects of sexual desire in mainstream culture.

Through mixed media paintings and trading cards inspired by nostalgic 1990s comic book collectibles, Category: Asian Man offers a playful yet provocative reflection on the significance of these performances to the artist. Depicting the models in superheroic fashion emphasizes the rarity and cultural importance of these representations. The series challenges entrenched narratives that have historically excluded Asian men from sexualized portrayals in media.

 

Bio: 
Will Chiong is a self-taught artist based in Brooklyn, NY, whose work draws from pop art, comic book aesthetics, and fine art to examine themes of eroticism, representation, and the intersections of queer and Asian identity.
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