Is This the New Orientalism? A London Artist’s Reflection on SISY’s Phuket Shoot

Is This Art… or Colonial Fanfiction?

SISY’s Phuket shoot? Gorgeous. But let’s be real—this feels like Exoticism Inc. with a luxury skincare ad budget.

Golden hour? Check. Silk robes? Check. Innocent goddess energy? Double check.

But wait—is she seen, or just used as scenery for white-gaze fantasy dreams?

I’ve stood in front of lenses too—my mom was Japanese, my dad English. I know the difference between agency and aestheticized objectification.

Is this feminist liberation… or just Orientalism with better lighting and an NFT drop?

The real question isn’t ‘is it pretty?’ It’s: ‘Who gets to decide what beauty means?’

And why do we keep calling ‘pure’ what’s actually over-romanticized?

You tell me: is this art—or just digital tea ceremony cosplay for rich Westerners?

👇 Comment your verdict! Let’s debate like adults who read too much theory.