By Melanie (smartshanghai.com)
Updated: 2008-03-20 13:49

Unlike the sweeping majority of Shanghai's galleries, Andrew James Artis conveniently located. Residing in a colonial mansion on Maoming Lu just north of Yan'an, the (soon to be expanded) one-room space is showing photography worksby Korean artist Dorothy M (Miyeon Yoon). The 32 year-old dubbed herself "Dorothy M" to avoid being pigeonholed as an "Asian artist."

The showpiece photograph, name of the exhibition, and best seller so far, "13 of Blondes," captures Dorothy's Asian friends, as well as models dressed as famous western females. Asian facial features draw the all-white costumes, white-blonde hair and sapphire-colored eyes into stark relief.

Korean calligraphy painted above the figures divides the women into four distinct categories: historic royal blondes (Queen Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, Infanta Magarita), fictional blondes (Barbie, Candy Oskar), iconic pop blondes (Marilyn, Princess Di, Paris Hilton), and blondes who married well (Grace Kelly, Jane Bennet, Cinderella).

Dorothy M is the "13th blonde," an Asian Venus standing in the center of the twelve others.

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