A Modern Fetish
Clam-shaped vintage lampshade, embroidery hoop, polyester ribbon, “premature death” hand-embroidered on 80s handkerchief
Hand-painted picture frame (vintage, from late 80s to early 90s) , Giclee print on fine art paper, size variable (4.5 x 7’’ to 9 x 11’’)
I always like to tell everyone that it was the objects that found me, not the other way around. In a rural town in North Carolina, on Chinese New Year’s Eve in 2022, I encountered some miracles: a lampshade accessorized by a bow, and a gold-trimmed floral frame (made in Asia). These were everyday Americana trending right before I was born, yet they perfectly matched the Harajuku dress prints I wear every day since I don't have to wear a school uniform. I hug them tightly like they are innocent ambers.
After moving to London at the end of the same year, I started a journey to examine how Victoriana circulated, evolved, and parallelly developed between the US and Japan—two "foreign lands" that permanently reshaped my cognitive system.