Vol. V No. 5
Erin Fei
Yellow Mug
Ceramic (oriental novelty mug), fabric, wax

Nov 13, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025

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Artist Statement:

Oriental objects from the past reflect a time when Polynesian and Oceanic cultures were being absorbed and reinterpreted by the United States. The caricatures and stereotypes of Asian culture were transformed into exotic symbols of leisure, embodying a carefree ‘5 o’clock somewhere’ ethos. By scaling down our fears and reimagining the ‘Orient’ and ‘Yellow Peril’ as fun, kitschy objects—laden with fruity drinks—the unfamiliar became more digestible, even pleasurable.

This ‘Yellow Mug,’ a novelty tiki mug from Orchids of Hawaii, was crafted in Japan in the 1970s. Its pan-Asian origins—touching Hawaii, Japan, and the Chinese Fu Manchu—reflect a blend of extracted influences. Draped in fabric and wax, the mug is reminiscent of classical Greek sculpture that draped the human form for the male gaze. It conceals yet highlights, presenting fragments of alienness and confrontation, rendering the unfamiliar more approachable and bite-sized.

The rise of these take-home mugs and souvenirs marked a shift: the ‘Orient’ was introduced into America as a collectible, accessible through a straw and a novelty vessel. Perched on a lacquered vase stand, the mug—with its gaze and skin-like drapery—exudes an almost animate, alien quality, as if it could walk away on its mysterious, monstrous legs.