G Abad, Katrina

"Titled “Not Your Puppet” is a digital illustration that depicts my response to discrimination and fetishization. Racism and the sexualization of women towards Asians have always been prevalent in history. However with the pandemic in 2020, the rise in Asian hate crimes has increased drastically. In order to combat my emotions during this time, the depiction of myself as a young child maneuvering a puppet is to emphasize a desire. In which I take control and authority away from those who used misogyny and racism as an excuse to defend one’s own harmful action towards minorities. From a young age, I and many of similar descent are taught to face racism and discrimination by keeping our heads low, to not react, and to stay silent, but when our elders who are the same people who ingrained this thought into our heads are the ones being tortured - staying silent and obedient can no longer be an option. As a result, in our progress to move forward we fight back and contribute by taking on roles of activists, marchers, healers, or in this case creators and storytellers to represent those who have been silenced."

I am a 4th-year student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and will be graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Visual Arts. I pursue an interdisciplinary art practice involving painting, sculpture, photography, film, print media, and illustration. Throughout the past few years, my artwork has been inspired by my own identity and how it falls into political, social, and cultural issues. As well as referencing my personal and shared experiences through my family and childhood assists me to convene a message through storytelling and human relationships.