Model Minority is a sculpture that represents the racism that the Asian community faces. It explores how light jokes about Asians can lead to stereotypes, which will eventually lead to racism. Racism against Asians has always existed but has grown even more apparent during the pandemic. One side of the vase displays a face with its eyes being pulled back. This is a common stereotype that almost every Asian has experienced. The opposite side of the sculpture displays an elderly face with a black eye and a slash across its nose. This is in reference to the violence that has been happening recently, especially against the elderly Asian community. This beat-up face is not an exaggeration, many Asians have experienced emotional and physical abuse or even lost their lives. To show the severity of the situation, I broke the vase. Picking up the pieces, I used a Japanese technique called kintsugi to mend the pot again. This art form uses lacquer and gold powder to fix ceramic pottery. This technique uses gold to emphasize the cracks to show the beauty of resilience. This piece is meant to raise awareness of the racism the Asian American community faces.
