Can South Asian identity become a trap for South Asian artists? Two-time Archibald finalist Kirthana Selvaraj is challenging the pressure to make cultural identity recognisable and palatable. In her new exhibition, 'In the Half Light', at Sydney's 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, she responds to the legacy of queer Asian Australian artist Andy Ewing, whose provocative work confronted fetishisation, marginalisation, and the politics of the body.
As the inaugural recipient of the Andy Ewing Fellowship, Kirthana Selvaraj found an unexpected connection with the late queer Asian Australian artist through their experiences of chronic illness, queerness, and the politics of the body. His legacy inspired her to confront her own pain through art, while making room for tenderness, humour, and joy.
Her new exhibition, 'In the Half Light', is showing at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in Haymarket until 13 December 2026.
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