YASMEEN KWAN
Transient Qipao
25” x 35”
2025
DESCRIPTION
Transient Qipao depicts the act of wearing a Qipao, a modernized
Chinese tea dress typically worn for formal occasions and celebrations
in Chinese culture. This painting confronts the standards placed onto
individuals of multiple ethnicities, this case being individuals of Afro-Asian
American descent living in the Western World. Both communities, Chinese
and Western, require proof of belonging and conforming, individuals face
constant risk of rejection by their culture. This painting shows us two young
girls changing into Qipaos in a dressing room, getting prepared to take family
portraits. This occasion happens just once a year, the work embodying what
these individuals are expected to do as they quickly change appearances.
Yasmeen Kwan is a figurative painter and sculptor who cross-references political issues over Black American and East Asian culture. They combine personal experience, historical references, and nuances in contemporary trends that intersect the marginalized two. Yasmeen is currently an undergraduate studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art to earn their BFA in Painting. Their work has been exhibited at the Reignberger Gallery and the Valley Art Center.
SECONDARY PIECE
SECONDARY PIECE
Yasmeen Kwan
Silk Shield
ceramic
8” x 7” x 8”