Dominique Fung is a painter with a message. Her work critiques the long history of Orientalism in art and the objectification of Asian women. Fung’s paintings are complex and visually stunning. She uses oil on canvas to create intricate and polished works that are both beautiful and thought-provoking.

In her paintings, Fung often depicts decadently styled vases, foo dogs, and other porcelain items. But she doesn’t paint them as still-lifes. Instead, she paints them as portraits. This is a powerful move. It gives agency to objects that have traditionally been exoticized and objectified by a Western gaze.

Fung is particularly interested in exploring the experiences of femininity as a second-generation Chinese-Canadian painter. She is heavily influenced by scholar Anne Anlin Cheng’s theory of Ornamentalism, which rests on the notion that Asian women live as aesthetic beings. Fung’s paintings are a challenge to this stereotype. They show that Asian women are more than just objects of beauty. They are complex and full human beings.

I love Fung’s work. It’s bold, it’s beautiful, and it’s important.

See more from Dominque Fung.