{"id":33944,"date":"2019-02-20T09:30:43","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T17:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dvan.org\/?p=33944"},"modified":"2019-03-07T16:59:52","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T00:59:52","slug":"deciding-utopia-artist-profile-of-antonius-bui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dvan.org\/2019\/02\/deciding-utopia-artist-profile-of-antonius-bui\/","title":{"rendered":"Deciding Utopia: Artist Profile of Antonius Bui"},"content":{"rendered":"

diaCRITICS highlights Vietnamese artists of the diaspora.\u00a0<\/em>This is Part 1 of a two-part<\/a> profile on artist Antonius Bui.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

~~~<\/span><\/h4>\n

Artist Statement<\/b><\/h4>\n

In Latin the meaning of the name Antonius is:<\/p>\n

Worthy of praise; of value<\/i><\/p>\n

But that wasn\u2019t always my name.<\/p>\n

Paper, blades, and others weren\u2019t always sources of beauty for me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I no longer go by Anthony.
\nI now value the history & potential of my materials.<\/p>\n

They no longer only carry suffering and pain, but also glimpses of my thriving community.
\nMy queer, yellow body has transformed alongside the fabric I carve.<\/p>\n

I dive into history while recognizing that I am more than a war.
\nWe are our ancestors\u2019 wildest dreams.
\nWe have suffered and continue to, but that doesn\u2019t define us.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What value do my communities have in society?<\/p>\n

Who is considered worthy of praise?<\/p>\n

What is considered natural or unnatural?<\/p>\n

What does utopia look like?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I decide.
\nWe decide.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1) \u201cEating the Other\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"\"
Atonius Bui perfroming “eating the Other.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

eating the Other <\/i>was inspired by Bui\u2019s personal experiences existing as a queer Asian body in a predominantly cisgender, white, able-bodied, heteronormative, LGBTQIA+ community. A View from the Bottom<\/i> by Tan Hoang Nguyen, Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance <\/i>by bell hooks, and Queer Phenomenology <\/i>by Sara Ahmed greatly influenced this performance as well. The piece was performed at DC Arts Center on May 20, 2018, the closing reception of Queer(ed) Performativity.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Consuming “eating the Other.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe fetishization, objectification, and consumption of Asian bodies, particularly gay and\/or queer bodies, is systemic and violent. In the LGBTQ community we continue to perpetuate harmful colonialist patterns of behavior. Antonius\u2019s performance last night was visceral and brilliant. Thank you for adding a poignant end to Queer(ed) Performativity.\u00a0\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n

–Andy Johnson<\/a>, curator of Queer(ed) Performativity<\/p><\/blockquote>\n