“Anattā (no self)”
Concept |
Growing up with parents who are devout Buddhists, I started to question what it means to believe in Buddhism at a rather young age. Buddha Shakyamuni has been an extraordinary educator but never a greater being above all humans, as some may believe. Having experienced life and death with benevolence, the One became Buddha. After his awakening, Buddha Shakyamuni expressed words to help people find the way to enlightenment. I had the ceremony to proclaim myself a Buddhist earlier this year. At the time I thought it was a turning point for me. However, I started to lose faith in this power of believing. It seems to me that all my suffering does not get resolved, no matter how hard I chant or meditate. This collection serves as my process of exploring the meaning of my belief. Knitted hemp twine with thick soft yarn weaving in between spreads a scent of nature to mark the unity of humans and nature, but it also is rough and itchy, to convey my struggle through this exploration. All the knitted materials and wool applique provide warmth, to transcend the feeling of embracing. In the end, believing that Buddhism is a guide for me to
embrace all the possibilities I encounter in life, and then accept them with joy.
Bio |
Yilin She is a Chinese designer and artist, who is completing the final year of her BFA at SAIC. Her work explores the importance of people’s state of mind through different subjects, for example, how a group of young artists coped with the demolition of art districts in Beijing, China. Growing up in an artistic and religious family, Yilin has gained the insight to perceive fashion as an approach to making a statement, and means to spread positive energy.