Lee Wen's 'Journey of a Yellow Man' Examined in Afterall Essay

Alice Ming Was Jim's essay for Afterall Journal 46 analyzes Lee Wen's performance series 'Journey of a Yellow Man' (1992–2012), which critiques racial stereotyping and colonial legacies. The Singaporean artist covered his body in yellow paint to embody the 'Yellow Peril' stereotype, performing in urban spaces across countries. The work premiered in London in 1992, with its third iteration in Singapore in 1993 just before a ten-year ban on performance art funding. Lee Wen used props like rice, red chains, lanterns, and birdcages. The essay connects the series to Carl Linnaeus's 1735 racial classifications, the coolie trade, and Singapore's CMIO (Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others) model. Lee Wen also revisited works by Nam June Paik and Yves Klein, substituting his yellow paint for Klein's blue. The essay argues that Yellow Man remains relevant amid resurgent racism and anti-foreigner sentiments globally.