The Artsy Vanguard 2019: Sin Wai Kin
Sin Wai Kin by Bernice Mulenga. Courtesy of the artist.
Sin Wai Kin develops performances, films, texts, and installations that delve into gender, harnessing science-fiction themes to imagine alternate societal norms. Sin began performing at the London nightclub Vogue Fabrics in Dalston in 2013. Since then, they’ve captured the attention of the art world.
In 2018, Sin, who shows with Taipei’s Chi-Wen Gallery, performed at the Serpentine Galleries and opened a solo show at Sotheby’s S|2 gallery. At S|2, the artist’s written speculative fiction accompanied videos and tactile works—tissues imprinted with the remnants of their performance makeup. The artist has said that drag helped them understand their own place in the intricate complexities of gender identity.
Sin Wai Kin with Whiskey Chow and Shy One, A View From Elsewhere, 2018. Part of PS/Y’s Hysteria. Photo by Anne Tetzla.
This year, Sin has performed and displayed their work on prominent art-world stages including the Venice Biennale, Art Basel in Hong Kong, Whitechapel Gallery, Hayward Gallery, and the Palais de Tokyo. Hayward curator Vincent Honoré, who included Sin in the group show “Kiss My Genders,” said that by deconstructing archetypal feminine beauties—spanning Hollywood to cartoons—Sin “argues for a non-binary and post-colonial alternative.” The artist asserts, Honoré continued, “that ‘gender is something that can be played with, rather than something to measure people against.’ By doing so, [they offer] a visual feast and a sharp criticism of images and clichés’ circulation.”
