The West Australian Pulse: Ema Poon’s artwork a reflection of pressures placed on Asian-Australian children

A deeply personal exploration of academic anxiety is changing how families interact and it’s on display at this year’s The West Australian Pulse exhibition. Ema Poon’s artwork Ideal reflects the intense pressure Asian-Australian kids face, portraying her family dynamics through symbolic figures. “It was personal, because I am from an Asian family. I’m from Chinese and Japanese descent, and I thought it was really important to talk about the expectations and roles within Asian families and how that can often be quite harmful,” she said. “I also want to acknowledge that we all still very much love each other, and I don’t think it’s an issue that’s really talked about in Asian families.” The oil painting depicts Ms Poon’s loving father as being emotionally distant but hardworking, her devoted mother is holding a teddy bear representing her children, and Ema is painted surrounded by books burdened by academic pressure. The Shenton College graduate said she used warm colours to convey the underlying love and support her parents have. Ms Poon — who is now studying psychology at UWA — said her artwork helped her communicate what she was feeling with her parents. “I think they’ve begun to understand I shouldn’t have to conform to what most Asian parents would expect of their children, and I’m really grateful for that,” she said. The eighteen-year-old hopes her artwork will encourage Asian families to break away from the damaging dynamic portrayed in her painting. “I really hope that people begin to acknowledge these kinds of roles and how harmful they are,” she said. “I hope that in future, we start to move towards being able to openly show affection and try and break away from these roles.” The West Australian Pulse exhibit allows West Australians to see into the minds of young artists and the issues that are important to them. The free exhibition is open from May 3 until August 31 at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.