The AAPI community is rooted in lavish aesthetics conveyed through a variety of cultural backgrounds.
From Japanese Americans to Pakistani Americans, AAPI creators are redefining beauty through their own experiences and providing cultural diversity to the contemporary art sector. However, due to the recent hate crimes towards members of the AAPI community, the need for representation and amplification is needed now more than ever.
For the arts, AAPI individuals have always been a part of the community, but have had their work diminished by white peers for decades. Personally, I can not recall a time when we discussed an Asian or Asian American photographer while I was in art school. Time after time, my academia was infiltrated solely with the white male gaze of Mapplethorpe or Adams, but what about Corky Lee, An Rong Xu, or Daido Moriyama?
The hypocrisy that stems from art institutions that preach diversity and inclusion, though only promote work through the white gaze is limiting the practicality and future success for non-white artists. The lack of representation for AAPI artists is disheartening, but I have no doubt the new generation of Asian American Gen Z artists will change this sentiment.
SEE ALSO:5 Southeast Asian Americans on combating their hyper-invisibility and amplifying their voices
We here at Very Good Light found 11 Gen Z AAPI photographers working as artist-activists and promoting contemporary representation with each click of the shutter. It’s time to burn the model minority myth to the ground and actively support Asian Americans in the arts! Continue scrolling to check out these 11 world-changing Gen Z Asian American photographers and admire their brilliant visual art.
1. Zayira Ray
2. Ashley Zhang
6. Zee nguyen
7. Kenji Chong
8. Sylvie lam
9. Claire Son
10. Aaron Sinclair
11. Simrah Farrukh
