The South-Asian digital art Instagrammers helping us stay woke
With so many people now asking “What can we do to educate ourselves?” in this era of the Black Lives Matter movement, most media outlets and corporations are sharing TED talks, Netflix and podcast recommendations, and of course books to read. However, millennials such as myself often prefer to ingest my daily dose of “wokeness” through Instagram. I know right…so basic.
Lately I have found a new love and appreciation for digital art, with controversial and thought-provoking pieces grabbing my attention when I’m aimlessly scrolling. The themes that make me look twice are usually surrounding things that are happening now, such as Pride, racism and Covid-19. But being a South-Asian woman in particular, the pieces that really make me stop and think are those that combine current events with being a person of colour.
What I love about the millennials and Gen-Z south-Asian creators, is that they are so unafraid to challenge what has been normalised for so long. A key theme that sticks out for me is the extent of colourism we have in our culture, where still today in 2020, we still associate lighter skin to beauty. This new generation are simply not having any of it and it fills me with so much pride. Other taboo subjects that these artists are shutting down include homophobia, periods, sex and body image – all of which impact Asians across the globe.
Here are some of our favourite artists:
ZHK Designs
Image: @zhkdesign
Image: @parambanana
Image: @ayushkalra
Image: @verathenoodle
Image: @mayamittal_
Image: @sleepysoymilk
Image: @getzenteemental
Image: @preeti_art
Image: @artby_gt
Image: @srillustrator
Image: @manal_mirza
Words by Ayisha Paw
Victoria Miro · Motion in Stillness: Dance and the Human Body in Movement · Feast · County Hall Pottery · Nicole Eisenman · Sadie Coles HQ · Parmigianino: The Vision of Saint Jerome · National Gallery · Feliciano Centurión: Hope in Bloom · Cecilia Brunson Projects · Jeff Wall · White Cube Bermondsey · Justin Dingwall · Doyle Wham · Group Exhibition: Reverb · Stephen Friedman Gallery…