This work of tension seeks to quantify the vulnerability gained from learning to be confident within one’s own skin; its title and symbolism alluding to crude stereotypes often used in reference to those with Asian heritage.

Continuing explorations of the artist’s own cultural history following an exchange to Hong Kong in late 2019 (and with the return to strange circumstances upon the advent of 2020’s events), this artwork further recontextualises meetings of East and West in its third iteration. Echoing the artist’s experiences living, working, and studying in amongst tumultuous political and social landscapes, and building upon his experiments manipulating scale and space, Yellow Peril, Yellow Fever is a call to consider your own perspectives regarding representation, power, and privilege.

Mark du Potiers is an interdisciplinary sculptor, exploring cultural identity through various material and methods. Born, raised, and based in Meanjin / Brisbane, Mark happens to have Hongkonger and Chinese heritage, and draws upon experiences and anxieties of growing up as a person of colour in contemporary Australia. His outcomes reference queerness and its additional complexities when viewed through a multicultural lens, alongside their intersection with mental health challenges. 

Mark has exhibited in spaces across Australia and Hong Kong, and with Brisbane City Council; Queensland College of Art, Griffith University; and City University. Awarded residencies with Museum of Brisbane (2019) and Metro Arts (2020), and a finalist of Midsumma (2018, 2020) and Footscray prizes (2019), Mark is also a founding member of XYZ Artist-Run-Initiative – a recipient of National Association for the Visual Arts’ ‘New Space’ mentorship program (2018).