Asians and Asian Americans are often stereotyped as eternal foreigners, model minorities, shy lotus blossoms, or emasculated wimps, yet they are not commonly seen as the creative stewards of comedy themselves.  Humor us, an exhibition of 20 Asian American artists with ties to Southern California, changes this perception.  The exhibition will be held at DCA’s Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery from September 14, 2007 to December 30, 2007.  The free Opening Reception will take place on Sunday, September 16, 2007, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. with music by Chris Joyner, and is open to the public. 

By linking humor to Asian Americans, humor us questions the parameters of identity, while recognizing the continuing importance of race and representation within and outside the United States.  Asian and Asian Americans are often the butt of jokes and used as comic relief within mainstream media – from Fu Manchu to William Hung (of American Idol notoriety).  By presenting incongruities, absurdities, and irrationalities, humor us will evoke a smile, chuckle, or a laugh from the audience; however, it will also engage the viewer in a critical exploration of what, indeed, is so funny.  With nearly 100 works ranging from the delightfully ridiculous to the plain silly, as well as those that deploy humor, both subtly and bombastically, as a means of social engagement and critique, humor us seeks to create a context in which humor can be explored, questioned, and even challenged. 

Participating Artists

Humour us highlights artists who have taken humor into their own hands, and also examines the role of cultural specificity in the operations and reception of humor.  They include Shane Abad, Tetsuji Aono, Susan Choi, Young Chung, Allan deSouza, Cirilo Domine, Reanne Estrada, Pearl Hsiung, Terence Koh, Byoung Ok Koh, kozyndan, Dinh Q. Lê, Candice Lin, Sandra Low, Sandeep Mukherjee, UuDam Nguyen, Kaz Oshiro, Joey Santarromana, Anna Sew Hoy, and Niphan Suwannakas