This series begins with “The Choker Book,” which explores how books and knowledge come against us. When wearing this book as a choker, the pages turn outward. In this way, instead of serving as an object with reading functions, it becomes unreadable bonda + Enlarge
The Choker Book 01 2020 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 6 ?”x5”x3”
This series begins with “The Choker Book,” which explores how books and knowledge come against us. When wearing this book as a choker, the pages turn outward. In this way, instead of serving as an object with reading functions, it becomes unreadable bonda + Enlarge
The Choker Book 02 2020 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 6 ?”x5”x3”
This series begins with “The Choker Book,” which explores how books and knowledge come against us. When wearing this book as a choker, the pages turn outward. In this way, instead of serving as an object with reading functions, it becomes unreadable bonda + Enlarge
The Choker Book 03 2020 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 6 ?”x5”x3”
This series begins with “The Choker Book,” which explores how books and knowledge come against us. When wearing this book as a choker, the pages turn outward. In this way, instead of serving as an object with reading functions, it becomes unreadable bonda + Enlarge
The Choker Book 04 2020 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 6 ?”x5”x3”
This series begins with “The Choker Book,” which explores how books and knowledge come against us. When wearing this book as a choker, the pages turn outward. In this way, instead of serving as an object with reading functions, it becomes unreadable bonda + Enlarge
The Choker Book 05 2020 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 6 ?”x5”x3”
“The Ear Plug Book” discusses a similar topic: uncanny knowledge. The process of wearing “The Ear Plug Book” imitates the process of stuffing knowledge into our ears, our brains. Stuffing is also blocking. The more you let the knowledge flow out of your e + Enlarge
The Ear Plug Book 01 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 1.37”x1.37”x0.7”
“The Ear Plug Book” discusses a similar topic: uncanny knowledge. The process of wearing “The Ear Plug Book” imitates the process of stuffing knowledge into our ears, our brains. Stuffing is also blocking. The more you let the knowledge flow out of your e + Enlarge
The Ear Plug Book 02 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 1.37”x1.37”x0.7”
“The Ear Plug Book” discusses a similar topic: uncanny knowledge. The process of wearing “The Ear Plug Book” imitates the process of stuffing knowledge into our ears, our brains. Stuffing is also blocking. The more you let the knowledge flow out of your e + Enlarge
The Ear Plug Book 03 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 1.37”x1.37”x0.7”
“The Ear Plug Book” discusses a similar topic: uncanny knowledge. The process of wearing “The Ear Plug Book” imitates the process of stuffing knowledge into our ears, our brains. Stuffing is also blocking. The more you let the knowledge flow out of your e + Enlarge
The Ear Plug Book 04 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book 1.37”x1.37”x0.7”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 01 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 02 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 03 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 04 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 05 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
“The Book of Nonsense” showcases the fragility of knowledge and rationality. The words on the pages are manipulated in a way that the text is reversed, blurry, and overlapping-- unreadable. The paper for the pages is made from bread, which turns the perma + Enlarge
The Book of Nonsense 06 2021 Photo-Transferred Artist’s Book with Handmade Bread Paper 8 ? ”x 5 ?” ?”
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 01 2021 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 02 2021 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 03 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 04 2021 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 05 2021 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)
The series ends with “Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?” which is a series of photo-transferred human masks. The artist collected scans of human faces from people all over the world and made them into masks. By making and wearing them, the artist t + Enlarge
Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate? 06 2021 Photo-transferred on Handmade paper 14”x 9 ? ” (each mask)

Special Thanks to:

Xing Bao, Ao Bones, Benita Guo, Joy Li, Yuchae Lee, Rosa Luo, Emi Sun, Serhii Surepin, Ashling Tu, Ritter Zhang, Yiting Zhou

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Statement

Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our Fate?

“More than open barbarism I fear barbarism with a human face- ruthless survivalist measures enforced with regret and even sympathy but legitimized by expert opinions.”

- Slavoj Zizek

“Our knowledge has made us cynical
Our cleverness, hard and unkind
We think too much, and feel too little
More than machinery, we need humanity
More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness
Without these qualities, life will be violent, and all will be lost”

-Charlie Chaplin

 

During the Covid-19 global pandemic, nations around the world started to operate in survival mode. Racism, nationalism, flight restrictions, refusing to share vaccine studies, all elevated to sensationalist proportions. Nations are closing borders, trade, commerce, and people are turning inward and against each other, unconsciously taking cruel and selfish stands, and claiming themselves as “rational.” What are the consequences of these decisions? The problem is not about what decision is right, but about the neglected cost when we are taking over the power to make the decisions for everyone, for “the greater good.” Does being rational equal being humane? What goes after and beyond the abstract theories? Is Barbarism With a Human Face Our fate?