Unapologetically Asian

Copied Julia Kwon, Unapologetically Asian, 2020, Korean silk, cotton canvas, muslin, elastic, folded with elastic loops: 5 347 3434 in. flat with elastic: 5 1213 121 58 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Kenneth R. Trapp Acquisition Fund, 2021.1, © 2020, Julia Kwon

Artwork Details

Title
Unapologetically Asian
Artist
Date
2020
Dimensions
folded with elastic loops: 5 347 3434 in. flat with elastic: 5 1213 121 58 in.
Copyright
© 2020, Julia Kwon
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Kenneth R. Trapp Acquisition Fund
Mediums Description
Korean silk, cotton canvas, muslin, elastic
Classifications
Keywords
  • Dress — accessory
  • Asian
Object Number
2021.1

Artwork Description

Julia Kwon created this face mask using bojagi, a Korean style of patchwork. As a Korean American textile artist from Northern Virginia, her work explores notions of gender and identity. She made the Unapologetically Asian masks in response to anti-Asian racism and violence during the pandemic.

“I became deeply aware of how I may be misperceived not only as a perpetual foreigner, but, now during this pandemic, also as a carrier or cause of the COVID-19 virus. I felt tired and frustrated by the pressures to exist quietly and invisibly. So, I decided to create vibrant Korean patchwork face masks to unapologetically celebrate my ethnic identity.” —Julia Kwon


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

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