Andrew Kung is a young American artist based in Brooklyn who, after a couple of years in LinkedIn as a strategist and analyst, decided to leave the silicon valley and devote himself totally to photography.

His work was soon recognized and appreciated and now boasts collaborations with Vogue Italia, l’uomo vogue, i-d, dazed, paper magazine, new york times and many more.

The title of his latest project is The All-America, a photographic book that tells and illustrates the complex Asian-American male identity. Andrew had never really thought too much about his identity before or at least found it interesting only after traveling south to document the small Chinese population of Mississippi. There he realized how complex it is to be Asian living in America. So he decided to break with conventional stereotypes by providing a platform for those who felt unrepresented in mainstream culture. 

The book is divided into two parts: the first is a selection of images that investigate physical spaces “where Asian-American men have felt invisible”, the second celebrates “the beauty, intimacy, and tenderness of Asian-American men,” he says. Kung’s goal is not only to provide another avenue of representation in the fashion and photography industry but also to question the preconceptions of his audience, educating those “inside and outside the community on the nuanced experiences that all Asian-Americans have”.

The images are placed side by side, bringing to light the confluence of gender and sexuality; the paradox of a man who can be desexualized and over-sexualized at the same time.

Text by Giordana Bonanno.