Sai Clayton

the first solo exhibition by Nashville-based artist, Sai Clayton. HĀFU presented at Random Sample on May 5, 2023 - May 29, 2023,

Sai's work is deeply personal and examines her own experience as a half-Japanese, half-white woman born and raised in the Southern United States. The exhibition title, HĀFU, meaning 'half' in Japanese, is used to identify people who are ethnically half-Japanese. The Hāfu identity is marked by the dual nature of biracialism– referring to just one half of someone’s identity while emphasizing what’s different.

Centered around self-portraits, this exhibition attempts to define a face for Asian biracialism and establish the intersection between perceived race, cultural iconography, and the self. The portraits are intentionally inaccurate, referencing racial dysmorphia and the multitudes of self as it relates to outward racial perception and inward cultural identification. In an act of confrontation and empowerment, the faces reflect their identity crisis onto the viewer, urging you to consider your own identity and racial perceptions.