Xavier Robles de Medina
Argh!, 2023-2024

A drawing of the artist’s brother as a child wearing a ninja costume for Carnival, harnesses a family photograph to expand on the complexities of Orientalism. The ninja in black garb, popularized by the 1967 Bond film You Only Live Twice, is a prime example of cultural heritage being misrepresented and fictionalized by mainstream media, while, on the receiving end, this global dissemination of cultural products results in local reinterpretations that affect identity and our understanding of history.