Arthur Sze is an Asian American artist, because he is of Asian American ethnicity, and he is indisputably an artist.  His work, however, does not embody an Asian American aesthetic.  His work is the work of one Asian American artist.  In his personal statement, he points out the arrogance of an artist purporting to represent an entire community.  I suspect, therefore, he would be irritated and amused at any attempt to "fit" him into an Asian American aesthetic.
 This said, Sze's work displays a strong Asian sensibility.  In The Shapes of Leaves (analyzed here), he uses a lyricism that is reminiscent of the classical Chinese poetry that has played such a large role in his life's work.  Eric Elshtain, in reviewing The Redshifting Web, states: "Sze does not capitalize on an Orientalism, instead he recognizes the efficacies of this early Chinese aesthetic to capture the uniqueness of a very American landscape."
 As Margo Machida points out in her contribution to Augie Tam's Is There an Asian American Aesthetic, it is more useful to explore the diverse and important contributions of Asian American artists than to spend time determining what constitutes an Asian American aesthetic.  Further, such definitions may tend to delegitimize the works of those artists who do not fit into the narrow categories developed.  The work of Arthur Sze, like that of all other Asian American artists, should be explored and appreciated for its own merits, not for its position in some dubious aesthetic.
 
 

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