Bernie Miller Lighbox Commission, Blackwood Gallery, 2011

"Mining the materials, gestures and traditions of his Vietnamese culture, Johnson Ngo explores physical acceptance and gender identity in his performance-based practice. In Self-portrait in Rice Paper, Ngo adopts traditional poses and wet drapery techniques from Greek sculpture by using layers of rice paper to obscure gendered markings on his body. According to the artist, these masking gestures “create a veil to emphasize the contrast between my exposed ‘yellow’ skin, black hair and the whiteness of the rice paper.” Photographed on the grounds of the UTM campus, the image balances elements of drama, tension and beauty in Ngo’s suggestive portrayal of intimate yet public exposure, made all the more poignant at this monumental scale." - Shannon Anderson

Self-portrait in Rice Paper is part of the exhibition, Viva Voce: 40th Anniversary of the Art & Art History Program, curated by Shannon Anderson (September 14 to October 23, 2011 at the Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto Mississauga).