Born in China and educated in the US, I am a millennial world citizen of the digital age, witnessing the influence of social media, clubbing culture, and the stigmatization-celebration of “Made in China”. I address key phenomena in today’s social media and pop culture by paying attention to issues such as nightlife, body image, gender stereotypes, and the power dynamic in sexual interplay. With boutique elements, bright colors, and artificial materials, I project fabulosity and confidence in my 3D works by filtering them through an ideal yet superficial persona.
The visual style of my generation has inevitably influenced my work. I don’t seek eye-catching tones and polished textures, I am simply immersed in such visual materials. I also appropriate familiar objects and symbols such as disco balls, lights, clothing, and hashtags with bold colors that speak to me. I craft a fanciful yet superficial utopia world in the clubbing presence, translate it into the real world, and then re-integrate it back into the nightlife realm.
The multiple personas we take on conceal and reveal parts of ourselves as we adapt to the norm. But in the moments when we let go and allow our ultimate self to shine through and enjoy life, an edgeless universe can be found inside. We experience true freedom. This is the experience of clubbing: getting lost in a multi-sensory experience of light, sound, and even touch. Yet the individual empowerment captured in these collective moments is quickly lost once everyone disperses. The club is both a refuge and a cage. My work projects the connection between the artificiality and reachability of this shallow utopia world. It ensures people’s entitlement to being “flamboyant,” “fragile,” “extra,” or even “fake.” I make use of materials such as metal, faux fabric, and bathroom elements to challenge the existing stereotypes and create new possibilities for individuality.
The use of ready-made items and references to China’s manufacturing industry are the reflection of my identity in the cross-cultural context. Today’s excessive Capitalistic system has also influenced how I contextualize my work in its social environment. I put myself in the role of a minimum-paid Chinese laborer that is stuck in a pipelining system to experience the multi sides of hedonism and consumerism. I maintain a cycle of making, manufacturing, selling, copying, and re-making, as my process is just as important as the formal aspect.
