Occidentalism and Orientalism: A Hidden Fascination Between the West and the East

One of the most powerful catalysts for cultural exchange is art. Art has the rare ability to bring together opposites, contrasts, similarities, and more. Orientalism and Occidentalism are two concepts that speak through art.

While Orientalism is a term used to describe how the West perceives the East, Occidentalism represents the East's perception of the West. Both ideas balance between prejudice and admiration. This is where art steps in—bridging these dynamics with reality, giving individuals a voice, and allowing them to hear the other side. But how do these two concepts manifest in art?

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres – The Turkish Bath

Created in 1862, this painting depicts women in a bathhouse. However, rather than reflecting the realities of Eastern life, it draws on the fantasies of the Western imagination, presenting an eroticized portrayal. Critics of the painting have described it as a tangible example of the West's exotic fantasies about the East.

Lord Byron – Tales of the East

The poet Lord Byron, a prominent figure in Orientalist literature, emphasized the East in his works. In Byron's poetry, the East becomes both a romantic escape and a dangerous adventure, constructed through a lens of fascination and otherness.

Chen Cheng-po – The Colors of the West

In the early 20th century, as the East continued to modernize, some artists emerged who sought inspiration from the West while preserving their local traditions. One such figure was Chen Cheng-po, who combined Western perspective techniques with traditional Chinese themes.

Through his works, Cheng-po offered the East’s view of the West, using vivid and bold colors. He fused Western concepts of perspective and composition with elements reflecting Taiwan’s tropical landscapes, architecture, and everyday life, visually contributing to the East’s modernization process.

Yukio Mishima – The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

In his novels, Yukio Mishima depicted his thoughts on Western culture alongside the unique beauty of the East. Mishima admired the West but maintained a critical distance, exemplifying the duality inherent in both Orientalism and Occidentalism.

The Conceptual Touch of Architecture

While Orientalism and Occidentalism may seem like opposing concepts, they are not entirely so. They both describe the East and the West but do not inherently function as oppositions or rebuttals to one another. Can they converge in certain contexts? Perhaps.

For example, Western architect Le Corbusier designed the city of Chandigarh in India. He reinterpreted the West's modern architectural approach to align with the cultural needs of India, creating a form of interaction between the two concepts.

Similarly, the East's sophisticated and intricate aesthetic is epitomized in the elegant structures of Topkapı Palace. Meanwhile, the Palace of Versailles in the West stands as a symbol of Western power and grandeur. Both structures shape and reflect their respective identities.

A Bridge of Fascination and Redefinition

Through art, the West and the East nourish and examine their mutual admiration and curiosity while striving to redefine their existing identities. In this sense, art serves as a bridge between two worlds—but this bridge is built with different perceptions and narratives on each side.

The aesthetic richness of Orientalism and Occidentalism is revealed through art. Beyond questioning their ideological and political stances, these perspectives allow for the construction of the "other." The images created by these concepts always hold the potential to transcend one-sided narratives, offering a more nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between the East and the West.