“Eurocentrism, hegemony and colonialism (re-)produce “legitimate” knowledge and knowers in the Western world.” [2] In the context of colonial Australia, this ‘knowledge’ typically centres white epistemologies that maintain the status quo – the equilibrium of White supremacy and the incessant ‘othering’ of People of Colour. This essay will examine the unique ways contemporary Australian artists Makeda Duong, Eugenia Lim and ___ research and present ideas that challenge systems, contexts, identities and institutions that centralise white knowledge. Mixed Race Sweater, The Australian Ugliness and __ each expose and critique specific structures such as the “penetrative white gaze”, “ethics and aesthetics” of  Australian architecture and ___. Unique strategies - textiles, performance and __ - help reveal the diversity of histories, narratives and plurality of identity which is often unacknowledged by the white hegemonic system of knowledge. These artists explore different notions of identity and thus reveal the multifarious and complex nature of the so called ‘Asian Australian’ experience.

 

As a biracial Asian Australian this essay also functions as a personal investigation into the methodologies of other artists that are ethnically, culturally and/or legally linked to the continent of Asia. Within the context of white Australia these artists are repeatedly with terms such as ‘Asian Australian’ having a tendency to “disguise the enormous diversity of cultures, languages, beliefs, and political systems”[3]. How can I rethink and restructure my own knowledge systems and where can I locate myself in a broader art context?