Modern Collar (2019)
The creative motive of work was derived from my personal growing experience. People in East Asia were taught to hide their emotional movements under their “daily proper attires.” Any undulant emotional outlet should be suppressed, contributing to a fake sense of maturity. This “Asian ruff,” the confinement, was created for those who wear it.
The work was inspired visually by the ruff, the Elizabeth collar, in the 16th century. I bent the copper wires by hand to mimic the form of the cardingram, which records people’s emotional movements. The cyanotype serves as a cover for the structure and represents the “outer layer” (skin) of humans. The brokenball made by cold porcelain embedded within the cyanotype cloth signifies the suppressed internal emotions bursting out.