How To

Abstract

How To is a one-person exhibition of mixed media drawings and prints. The exhibited work is meant to convey my personal explorations and representations of my identity crisis as a Taiwanese-American woman in the forms of deconstructed instruction panels. Additionally, How To is my representation of how Asians and Asian Americans are perceived in the United States through the model minority myth. Identity is nuanced and evolves over time. When I first acknowledged my identity crisis, I wanted a concrete solution, a set of instructions that others had followed to resolve their own crises. Follow a list of steps; learn a language; learn to cook like my mom. After this, my identity would be easily identifiable and manageable. My reduction of identity — seeking a simple way to “solve” the associated crisis — also parallels the intentional misconceptions of Asians and Asian Americans in American culture.