August 31-Septemper 18 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello
Cannaregio 4118 - Venice, Italy
Title: Woman
Year:2018
Media: Silk Gauze, Water-soluble Glue, Hair Extension
Dimension: 5” x 5” x 15” 13x13x38(cm)
When I was in Japan, I rarely considered the race issue because Japan seems to consist of a single ethnicity. While in NYC, I was a person in one of a minority group of ethnicities. There, I consider the equality of human beings including the difference of race and sex.
I thought that the difference in skin color would disappear when the skin is peeled. The difference between male and female disappears when the muscles are removed. The size of the skeletons is a little different, but when it comes to skeletons, all humans are equal.
Based on this assumption, I made a skull with silk gauze sculpted by using water-soluble adhesive. When I put hair on it, the skull looked like a woman to me. I found a prejudice that long hair is reminiscent of women.
Through this practice, I realized that the issue of race and gender is interwoven complexly due to our embedded prejudice and conventional thoughts. I also recognized that Japan is not a single race nation. I had been ignoring minorities and I myself have been suffering as a female in a male dominated society.