Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the United States has seen a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes due to racist scapegoating and bias of the “perpetual foreigner.” In San Francisco alone, 292 anti-Asian incidents have been reported [source].
The Tiger Project is a campus-wide initiative to empower, uplift, and strengthen the voices of Asian members of the USF community (students, faculty, staff, family). To counter the 292 reported anti-Asian hate crimes, this project seeks to collect 292 pledges of solidarity with the Asian community. Pledges may be collected physically (print) or virtually (Google Form).
Tigerskin is a conceptual art piece in which the pledges from The Tiger Project are utilized. The 292 anti-Asian incidents in San Francisco are inverted from a number of hate into a number of solidarity with 292 pledges for protection and togetherness. This piece mimics a scaled armor or the furry skin of a tiger, a protective garment to shield one from violence.
The rippling sight of bold and glistening envelopes composing the cloak draws the viewer in. When they learn that the amount of envelopes equals that of individual attacks on Asian people, they are shocked and dismayed. When they learn that within each of these envelopes is a pledge to protect Asian individuals, they have a newfound empowerment that comes with wariness and knowledge.
Learn more from my informational slide deck here: The Tiger Project + Tigerskin Informational Deck ↗
Tigerskin was on show from May 6th to June 23rd as part of The Light Is Still On: The 23rd Thacher Art + Architecture Annual in Thacher Gallery in Gleeson Library, University of San Francisco.