The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2021
Dior exhibited a photograph of a Chinese model critics called 'sinister'
Dior's Shanghai exhibition featured a Chen Man photo of a model with dark makeup and Qing-era nail guards. State media called it an insult to Chinese women.
Christian Dior
What happened
On November 12, 2021, Dior opened its 'Art'N Dior' exhibition in Shanghai. Among the works on display was a photograph by prominent Chinese photographer Chen Man titled 'Proud Restraint' (骄傲的矜持). The image showed a Chinese model with dark skin, heavy freckles, small slanted eyes with heavy dark makeup, and Qing-dynasty nail guards.
Chinese netizens and state media — including Beijing Daily and China Women's News — accused the photograph of perpetuating Western stereotypes of Asian faces: small eyes, dark skin, and a 'sinister' expression. Critics argued the image catered to a Western gaze that exoticised and demeaned Chinese women. The Weibo hashtag generated hundreds of millions of views.
On November 23, Dior removed the photograph from the exhibition and issued a statement on Weibo saying it 'respects the sentiments of the Chinese people.' Chen Man publicly apologised for her 'immaturity and ignorance,' saying she would 'reflect deeply' and learn more about Chinese history to 'tell China's story right.'
Why it happened
- The aesthetic echoed a colonial gaze: dark skin, heavy freckles, slanted eyes, and Qing-dynasty props match a long history of Western imagery that exoticises Asian faces.
- The venue made it brand-endorsed: displaying the photograph in a Dior exhibition gave Chen Man's artistic choices the weight of a luxury brand's endorsement.
- State media amplified it: Beijing Daily and China Women's News turned a social media debate into an official criticism — a signal to the brand that the issue had moved beyond PR.
- The photographer apologised: Chen Man's concession that she needed to 'reflect deeply' confirmed the image had crossed a line — even its creator agreed.
The lesson
A luxury brand exhibiting art its market reads as demeaning cannot hide behind artistic intent. If the audience sees a stereotype, the gallery wall does not make it art.
Sources
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