Met Exhibition Reexamines Chinoiserie Through Feminist Lens, Featuring Yeesookyung and Contemporary Artists
The 'Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie' exhibition is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, running until August 17, 2025. This showcase includes around 200 pieces that explore Chinoiserie as a Western interpretation of Orientalist fantasy, featuring five sculptures from Yeesookyung's 'Translated Vase' series (2002–). Drawing inspiration from Anne Anlin Cheng's 2018 publication 'Ornamentalism,' the exhibition connects European intrigue with Chinoiserie to the objectification of East Asian women. It also presents historical artifacts related to Mary II of England (1662–1694) alongside modern works by Asian artists, while addressing issues of violence against Asian women, including a tribute to the Atlanta spa shooting victims in 2021.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie' at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- On view through August 17, 2025
- Features approximately 200 works examining Chinoiserie as Western Orientalist fantasy
- Includes five sculptures from Yeesookyung's 'Translated Vase' series (2002–) in the atrium
- Curatorial framework influenced by Anne Anlin Cheng's 2018 book 'Ornamentalism'
- Highlights historical depictions of Asian women on porcelain, contrasted with European allegorical figures
- Features contemporary works by Jen Liu, Patty Chang, and Jennifer Ling Datchuk
- Includes objects associated with Anna May Wong, Empress Dowager Cixi, and memorials to 2021 Atlanta spa shooting victims
Entities
Artists
- Yeesookyung
- Jen Liu
- Patty Chang
- Jennifer Ling Datchuk
- Anna May Wong
- C. E. Barker
- Mary II
Institutions
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- ArtReview
Locations
- New York
- United States
- China
- Korea
- England
- France
- Germany
- Georgia
- Atlanta