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Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021

Long white flag with horizontal green stripes at the top, green embroidered lettering reading "REFUSE TO EAT OUR BITTERNESS" and green embroidered Chinese characters.

Karen Tam, Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021, embroidery on satin, 118.1 x 45.7 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, Montreal. Photo credit: Campbell River Art Gallery.

There is a Chinese idiom “to eat bitterness 吃苦.” It means to endure hardship and accept suffering as a part of life. The ability to tolerate and overcome difficulties is seen as a virtue and a badge of honour, and to some it is a fundamental part of the Chinese character. With the spike in anti-Asian racism in 2020 and 2021, Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021, protests and rejects this age-old attitude. Refuse to accept humiliation and abuse, Karen Tam’s art tells us. Refuse to accept hate. Refuse to be submissive. Spit out the bitterness.

Gallery

Long white flag with horizontal green stripes at the top, green embroidered lettering reading "REFUSE TO EAT OUR BITTERNESS" and green embroidered Chinese characters.

Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021

Triangular flag in blue, orange, and green with silver and yellow embroidery.

金山夢 Gold Mountain Dreams (Flag), 2021

Black and white photograph of the Marquis of Lorne Arch with people standing underneath.

Marquis of Lorne Arch, 1882

Photograph of a long white flag with black embroidered text reading "A good reputation endures forever 流芳百世"

A good reputation endures forever 流芳百世, 2021

Photograph of a chair with a yellow seat and woven back in front of a dark wall, accompanied by a small rug, plant, and brocade drape.

C.S. Wing Studio, 2020

Black and white photograph of a man in a coat and hat smoking a cigarette

Unidentified Chinese Man Lighting a Cigarette, pre-1929

Red velvet flag with decorated with silver Chinese characters and gold tassles running along the bottom.

the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Banner), 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a pagoda

Le Parc de la Pagode (Montréal), 1978, 2020

White text on a black background reading "Karen Tam, the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Audio), 2020"

the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Audio), 2020

Photo of a suit covered in golden Chinese coins

Coin-Suit, 2021

Photo of a yellow vest covered in Chinese coins

Armour Vest for female warrior, 2012

Photographs of a protective vest, made from wooden slats stitched together, with the words "WATER IS LIFE" appearing on the front

Wood slat and rod body armour, 2012

White fabric with blue screen-printed scenes of Chinese people, objects, and buildings

Ruinscape (Wallpaper), 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a row of damaged buildings with boarded up windows

After the 1907 Chinatown Riots in Vancouver, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese arch with a "Welcome" banner

Chinese Arch on Pender St. (Vancouver), 1912, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese public school building

Victoria Chinese Public School, June 5, 2020, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese corner store

56-58 Elizabeth St., Toronto, 1937, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a man standing menacingly over an elderly man on the ground

March 30, 2020 Attack, 2020

Red banner with a gold border and a gold Chinese character in the middle meaning “long life.”

Longevity to Our Elders, 2020

Black and white photograph of a large group of Chinese children holding banners and flags

Celebration in Nanaimo Chinatown, n.d.

Photograph of a long white flag with purple embroidered text reading "Success to the Revolution" and an embroidered tiger below

Success to the Revolution, 2021

Photograph of hexagonal blue and white tiles on the white walls of an art gallery

From Yiwu to you, 2015–present

Photograph of hexagonal blue and white tiles

From Yiwu to you (detail), 2015–present

Long white flag with horizontal green stripes at the top, green embroidered lettering reading "REFUSE TO EAT OUR BITTERNESS" and green embroidered Chinese characters.

Refuse to eat our bitterness, 2021

Triangular flag in blue, orange, and green with silver and yellow embroidery.

金山夢 Gold Mountain Dreams (Flag), 2021

Black and white photograph of the Marquis of Lorne Arch with people standing underneath.

Marquis of Lorne Arch, 1882

Photograph of a long white flag with black embroidered text reading "A good reputation endures forever 流芳百世"

A good reputation endures forever 流芳百世, 2021

Photograph of a chair with a yellow seat and woven back in front of a dark wall, accompanied by a small rug, plant, and brocade drape.

C.S. Wing Studio, 2020

Black and white photograph of a man in a coat and hat smoking a cigarette

Unidentified Chinese Man Lighting a Cigarette, pre-1929

Red velvet flag with decorated with silver Chinese characters and gold tassles running along the bottom.

the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Banner), 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a pagoda

Le Parc de la Pagode (Montréal), 1978, 2020

White text on a black background reading "Karen Tam, the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Audio), 2020"

the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times (Audio), 2020

Photo of a suit covered in golden Chinese coins

Coin-Suit, 2021

Photo of a yellow vest covered in Chinese coins

Armour Vest for female warrior, 2012

Photographs of a protective vest, made from wooden slats stitched together, with the words "WATER IS LIFE" appearing on the front

Wood slat and rod body armour, 2012

White fabric with blue screen-printed scenes of Chinese people, objects, and buildings

Ruinscape (Wallpaper), 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a row of damaged buildings with boarded up windows

After the 1907 Chinatown Riots in Vancouver, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese arch with a "Welcome" banner

Chinese Arch on Pender St. (Vancouver), 1912, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese public school building

Victoria Chinese Public School, June 5, 2020, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a Chinese corner store

56-58 Elizabeth St., Toronto, 1937, 2020

Black and white pencil illustration of a man standing menacingly over an elderly man on the ground

March 30, 2020 Attack, 2020

Red banner with a gold border and a gold Chinese character in the middle meaning “long life.”

Longevity to Our Elders, 2020

Black and white photograph of a large group of Chinese children holding banners and flags

Celebration in Nanaimo Chinatown, n.d.

Photograph of a long white flag with purple embroidered text reading "Success to the Revolution" and an embroidered tiger below

Success to the Revolution, 2021

Photograph of hexagonal blue and white tiles on the white walls of an art gallery

From Yiwu to you, 2015–present

Photograph of hexagonal blue and white tiles

From Yiwu to you (detail), 2015–present

Refuse to eat our bitterness - Art Canada