Benji Hsu

ARTIST STATEMENT

Hsu’s Desire (Triptych) engages with the complex relationship between desire and Asian American identity, which is shaped by the legacy of imperialism. Desire takes on multiple forms, including sexual desire and the longing for social belonging and recognition. Asian Americans are often seen as perpetual foreigners, even if they were born and raised in the United States. Additionally, Asian men are perceived to lack desirable traits; they are emasculated and desexualized. This can lead to feelings of exclusion and isolation as well as a desire for connection and community within the Asian American community. At the same time, they may also desire acceptance and integration into mainstream American society, which can create tension between the desire to belong to the Asian American community and the desire to assimilate into American culture. Using photography and long exposures, Hsu creates an image that explores his personal relationship with desire.

BIO

Benjamin Hsu (he/him) is a Taiwanese American from Oakland, California, and a junior at NYU Gallatin. His concentration is The Shifting Optics of Looking Asian, and he is minoring in Studio Art. As an artist, he uses lens-based media to explore themes of race and sexuality. He creates intimate projects to navigate societal constructs of race, while also reflecting on his own identity.