Photomanipulation nominee

How do I confront years of internalising cultural expectations, stereotypes and self-doubt as a British-Chinese person? The act of self-portraiture is an addictive type of therapy. It forces one to confront the self in different ways: how I wish to be perceived; how I perceive myself; and how I think others perceive me. These concepts then have a complex interplay as then I blend all my artistic influences, aesthetic loves and stylistic approach to produce a final image.

Here, I have chosen to see myself as a reborn entity – taking the theme of the Renaissance and centred around the rediscovery of Antiquity in the beautiful fresco painting and portraiture seen in the 1500s. I am drawn to the idea of a new dawn, and so I have taken on my own interpretation of what my mind’s eye would visualise Apollo, god of the son, in his glory. Instead of imposing imagery upon myself, I impose myself on the imagery by becoming the subject.

Dress by Rose Savage and headpiece by Carbickova Crowns.

Yinsey Wang (she/her), is a part-time self-portrait photographer and full-time lawyer. Born and raised in England as a person of Chinese heritage, she explores identity through her art. She enjoys exploring themes of feminism, representation and transformation. Her work is inspired by mythology, folklore and history, and she looks to her work as a means of playful self-empowerment and fanciful escapism.

She has been published in various magazines, including Enchanted Magazine and Spellbound Magazine and various blogs and online platforms, including Paper.CN and Color Lab.

Yinsey's work has been exhibited at the KHARITES exhibition at University of Arts London (2023), was selected as part of the shortlist for the Women in Art Prize Emerging Women Photographers Prize (2023) and featured in the online exhibition of entries for the Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize (2023). In addition, her work was selected to be shown on a screen at Times Square, New York by The Holy Art Gallery (2023).