
‘V’ is the fifth addition in the ongoing series #kinkyclassics where YuYu explores his identity through bridging eras and appropriating European history. This new artwork, based on the masterpiece of Jacques-Louis David, ‘Leonidas at Thermopylae” (1814), touches on subjects such as heroism and sacrifice. The Spartan King Leonidas is being replaced by YuYu’s self-portrait, while the imminent doom of the original painting becomes an allegory of today’s experiences for queer Asians. YuYu’s need to vulnerably expose himself at all costs, becomes his ‘heroic sacrifice’ to the altars of conservatism, rejection, and discrimination. File Dimensions: 11811 x 8754 pixels