At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian communities across the globe faced discrimination; loosely othering the eating habits and appearances. During her recess break, my nine-year-old Australian-born daughter had a peer verbally demonise her; “Your family has the Wuhan virus, and you eat your own pet!” . Unafraid, she stood her ground and called out his racist remark.

This contemporary painting depicts my daughter ‘M’ as a monster with her three undead guinea pigs, sipping bubble tea in defiance against racism. This monster is my hero. By utilising a vast array of artistic materials, including flora, moving mechanical components and a culinary palette, I draw upon ideas of home and the videogame Minecraft, in which ‘M’ battles marauding monsters. With familiar scents and animated breathing, the monster seeks a momentary connection and shared cultural experience with the audience—to counter discrimination and unprovoked violence targeted against global Asian diaspora.