Amid an economic downturn and a wave of gallery closures, the 2025 Armory Show—its first under director Kyla McMillan—opened at New York’s Javits Center with unexpected optimism. Yet here, five Asian artists place themselves—literally or metaphorically—at the center of their work, turning identity into both subject and method. Installation view of works by XU YANG at Gallery Rosenfeld’s booth at the Armory Show, New York, 2025. A conceptually driven, project-based artist, Jiang often begins by visualizing a scene drawn from everyday events, travel experiences, or fragments of literature. Installation view of works by KOSUKE KAWAHARA at RAINRAIN’s booth at the Armory Show, New York, 2025.