I was born in a special period, when China implemented the one-child policy. The policy was introduced in 1980 as a temporary measure to control China’s population growth and in response to severe shortages of capital, natural resources and consumer goods. Some social and educational problems are clearly reflected in only children. We received too much attention and protection and are mostly self-centered lacking empathy. At the same time, under the influence of the patriarchal system, many families value men much more than women. Because of the restrictions of the one-child policy, the tolerance and connivance of men by society and families is more obvious in the social background where grew up.
I immigrated to Canada with my parents when I was 14 years old, and after learning about more diverse cultures, I discovered that the difficulties and pressures faced by women surviving in society are common. My work explores these problems and pressures such as domestic violence, sexual discrimination in the workplace, and fertility issues. My work also expresses the power and energy that women exude despite it all.
My thesis project is titled “Behind the Beauty” and is mainly divided into four categories. First, it is about the thinking and resistance in Eastern patriarchal culture caused by calligraphy. Throughout Asian history, most calligraphers and poets were men, as only men were eligible to receive education and participate in political activities. Poems and books were also written by men and were used to regulate women in ancient times. This idea has long influenced the way we think, even today. In this series of works I created wearable art in the form of text art. The content of the text and the way of wearing it are also the focus of my attention in this series.
The second category of my work focuses on female physiology and fertility. My series “Struggle and Tolerance” was inspired by the experiences of pregnant female friends around me. Because my friends and I have been faced with the question of whether to choose to get married and have children in recent years, I have paid more and more attention to this aspect of women. I realized that many women couldn’t fully understand the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on their body, both internally and externally, before becoming pregnant. Most men know even less about changes in female fertility. The images used in my work convey common postpartum body changes including cells, extensive sagging of postpartum skin, stretch marks during pregnancy, nipple enlargement due to progesterone, and scarring from childbirth. I use metal folding techniques, enamel techniques, and mixed media in my work in an attempt to materialize these images into wearable pieces.
The third category is a reflection on the social problems encountered by women, including violence and appearance anxiety. I tried to make simple objects, such as Band-Aids, repetitively by mold-making and castings. When we see a Band-Aid, we naturally think of wounds and scars. The Band-Aid is like the victim’s last layer of skin, barely covering them from harm.
The last category is a tribute to the improvement of women’s status and the expression of female beauty. In this category, I make objects that represent the increased social status of women throughout human history and use flowers as symbols to express female beauty.
Just like everything has two sides, I think women from different cultures and at different ages have their own unique beauty, vulnerability, and strength. In my series of works, I hope to express the different aspects of stress experienced by women, the emotions generated under stress, and the energy inspired by emotions