Elizabeth Wirija: Noriental

Elizabeth Wirija’s Noriental series has been ongoing since 2017 and it’s something I always love seeing on my feed. Seeing people who look like you and have shared experiences is one of the most amazing things especially coming from my background as a mixed kid who grew up constantly being told I’m “not asian enough” or “not white enough”, which is just...well, *insert world’s biggest eye roll here*.

Noriental is so important for that reason--it’s all about showing that there is no one way to be Asian (or anything or anyone for that matter). The series shows Asian femininity can't be put in a box. There’s this weird, misguided perception of Asian women either being super submissive or completely fetishized which is just so far from reality and the only way to push against that is getting more representation. Elizabeth Wirija tackles the problem head on by putting Asian women’s words and ideas at the forefront. All the creatives featured in this ongoing series come from a wide scope of cultures, interests, personalities, and styles.