The Brooklyn Rail

As an emerging art critic, I explore how the digital age is reshaping the art world, the vital role of underrepresented voices, and the challenge of finding sustainability in a profession where critique is often dismissed yet increasingly necessary.

When I entered the art criticism world five years ago, I felt like an outsider. The stereotypical image of an art critic—someone in their sixties, with heavy glasses and a sharp, judgmental gaze—didn’t reflect my reality. As an Asian woman with a baby face, I lacked that “critical” presence. Introductions at gallery events where I was labeled a “critic” often filled me with unease. Am I too young for this role? Does my appearance diminish the weight of my words? But the more I wrote, the more I realized that it was precisely this outsider perspective that allowed me to see the art world through a different lens—one that could amplify stories too often ignored.

My path into art criticism was far from conventional. I didn’t major in art history, nor did I work as an artist. Instead, I started out as a journalist, covering business news for legacy magazines. But as I grew weary of the churn of SEO-driven stories and sponsored content, I turned toward art and cultural journalism. Freelancing for outlets like ARTnews, Brooklyn Rail, Vogue, and HuffPost gave me a chance to write about subjects that mattered deeply to me—especially underrepresented artists who use their work to challenge societal norms.

The shift wasn’t easy. Writing about art as a freelancer rarely pays well, even if you’ve built a solid portfolio. Financial stability seemed like a distant prospect in a field where compensation is notoriously low. To sustain myself, I took a job in higher education as a communication manager and served as the board director at the Asian American Journalists Association. It allowed me to keep a foothold in the world of art criticism, while also ensuring I could afford to do the work I truly cared about.

As a freelance critic, I’m selective about the artists I cover. I seek out those who haven’t yet entered the mainstream or who have compelling personal narratives that deserve attention. Some of the artists I’ve written about, like Ani Liu and Dana Davenport, later gained broader recognition. Liu, for example, uses art to disguise science and engage viewers in thinking critically about motherhood and labor. Davenport’s braided hair sculptures, rooted in Black and Asian identity, reframe narratives around intersectionality. These features serve not just to highlight individual artists, but to remind readers that art has a critical role in addressing societal issues—climate change, gender equality, and racial divides.

In many ways, my art writing feels like an extension of my journalism work. It’s a platform to elevate unheard of voices and make art more accessible to the public. Art is not an insular world of galleries and collectors; it’s a powerful tool for shaping how we see and understand the world. My writing aims to bridge that gap, showing that art is not only for the privileged few but for everyone.

Art criticism, however, is changing. We now live in an age where art critiques come not only from established critics but from bloggers and influencers across social media and TV shows. This democratization has sparked debates within the art world. How effectively do reality TV shows like MTV’s The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist (2023) and the Chinese show The Cosmos of Artists (2022) engage in critiquing art? Does it reduce complex artworks to simple “likes” or “dislikes”?

As Chunchen Wang, deputy director of the CAFA Art Museum at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China, and an internationally acclaimed critic, once told me, “Criticism is not about saying everything is bad. It’s about expressing an opinion with reason and reflection. Just because an opinion spreads widely on social media doesn’t mean it lacks merit. But we, as critics, must ask ourselves: what is our stance, and can it withstand the test of time?”

The role of the critic today is not to dictate taste, but to foster meaningful dialogue. My work isn’t about giving the artwork a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down—it’s about sparking conversations on how art reflects and critiques the world around us, often drawing attention to social issues we might otherwise overlook. At its core, criticism is an exchange of ideas, not the pursuit of a singular truth. The real measure of a critic’s success isn’t being “right,” but inspiring deeper discourse on how art shapes and influences our collective social agenda.

Sustaining a career in art criticism remains challenging, especially following the massive layoffs in the journalism industry in 2024. Yet our role as critic, journalist, and writer has never been more crucial. Critics document cultural shifts, challenge societal norms, and to me, most importantly, give voice to artists who are too often overlooked. As long as I can continue to elevate those underrepresented artists’ voices and amplify their presence in the mainstream, I will consider my work—however difficult the path—worth every moment.