Browsing by Author "Chen, Kun"

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    Unspoken Incantation: Kawaii Culture as Empowerment
    (2020-01) Chen, Kun; Anderson, Judy; Leier, Heather; Schwartz, Dona
    Unspoken Incantation explores the use of self-portraiture as a form of expression that represents female empowerment in kawaii culture. This paper specifically addresses how kawaii culture has evolved to include a form of self-expression primarily constructed by young females. Proponents of kawaii culture claim to celebrate femininity through the physical representation of qualities they define as sweet, adorable, gentle, and lovable. Additionally, it stands powerfully against patriarchal hegemony and, specifically, patriarchally constructed traditional roles and expectations of women. I posit that the embodiment of kawaii aesthetic, including fashion and feminine signifiers in my research creation, serve as an empowerment tool. Through an exploration of cultural context and personal experiences, I investigate the positive potential of kawaii as a tool for empowerment. Popular culture, religion, and East Asian mythological sources influenced hand gestures and power poses within Unspoken incantation. These sources in-turn represent the repurposed symbolic powers used in kawaii culture, most commonly manifested by women. Through my research creation project, I have embraced kawaii culture as an aesthetic language to show the silent yet powerful intentions of the kawaii movement.