Trajectories of solidarities in Asia and beyond. The work of Arahmaiani, Phoebe Ching Ying Man and Sun Shaokun

Arts activisms and gender-based violence through transnational perspectives

Abstract

In this article, I explore how three women artists working in Asia and beyond – Arahmaiani (Indonesia, b. 1961), Phoebe Ching Ying Man (Hong Kong, b.1969), and Sun Shaokun (People’s Republic of China, 1980-2016) – employ diverse artistic media to address gendered violence in their specific cultural contexts, while building transcultural solidarities. Notions of visual activism, feminism and solidarity are interwoven to critically analyse Burning body, burning country (1998, 1999 and 2024) by Arahmaiani, Rewriting history (2009-2012) by Phoebe Man, and Circumcision (2014) by Sun Shaokun. These works are feminist interventions that respond to gendered violence, such as rape and female genital mutilation, and expose marginalised stories of sufferance, trauma and healing. I discuss how their feminist visual activism transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, and contributes to larger dialogues on gendered violence, activating spaces for solidarities and advocacy for gender justice in Asia and beyond.