Name (2023)
ink on cut rice paper, collage, accordion book, 4.75 x 3.5 x 1.25 inches closed (12 x 8.9 x 3.2 cm), width stretches to 80 inches (203.2 cm)
This piece consists of my name written in Chinese calligraphy, cut apart and pasted into an accordion book. One side consists of the characters written with standard calligraphic script commonly used in current times. The other, with seal script using ancient versions of these characters. Using the format of the accordion book, I am able to experiment with having these two sides interact and overlap with each other. It is also a curious difference that readers of Chinese and English would intuitively flip through this book in opposing directions, leading one to start with one form over the other. This piece is a reflection on time, change, my learning of the Chinese language, and reconnection with this cultural identity.