Richard Fung's Video Art Gains New Relevance Amid Anti-Asian Racism

Richard Fung's video art, which delves into his experiences as a gay Asian man in Toronto since the 1980s, is receiving fresh recognition. Fung, born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1954 and of Hakka Chinese heritage, relocated to Toronto for his studies, eventually becoming a video artist and educator. In 1980, he established Gay Asians of Toronto. His debut video, Orientations (1984), captured the stories of 14 LGBTQ Canadians. His follow-up, Chinese Characters (1986), combines fictional interviews with his own narratives. Other notable works include Dirty Laundry (1996), The Way to My Father's Village (1988), and Sea in the Blood (2000). His videos have recently been showcased in several online festivals, addressing themes of race, queerness, and colonialism in the context of increasing anti-Asian sentiment.