2020
H-OURS PROJECT 02: RESILIENCE
CURATED BY RONG JAKE CHEN, EXHIBITION HELD AT LE SPACE, MELBOURNE

EXHIBITION PIECES: DREAM MIRRORS

DREAM MIRRORS IS BORN FROM DEEPLY LOOKING INTO THE STATE OF SLEEP DURING ISOLATION. THE PROJECT IS A TRIPTYCH OF FABRIC PORTRAITS, EACH CAPTURING THE FEELING OF BEING LOST IN A DREAMSCAPE, AND REACHING OUT TO FIND SOMETHING IN ITS HAZY FOG WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT IT IS. 
EACH PORTRAIT IS AN OCULUS TO LIMITLESS SPACE. THE FABRIC SURFACE IS GIVEN RELIEF BY A SUBTLE PROTUBERANCE — OF PURE SHAPE, BUT AMBIGUOUS PRESENCE. THE DREAMER IS PART FRIGHTENED, AND PART HOPEFUL OF WHAT THEY WILL DISCOVER WHEN REACHING OUT. 
THIS WORK IS CONCERNED WITH THE SPACE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE DREAM. CONCEIVED DURING THE COVID19 PANDEMIC, THE PROJECT QUESTIONS ONE’S CONSCIOUSNESS OF BEING AWAKE AND ASLEEP.
THE FABRICS USED ARE THE END-OF-ROLL DEADSTOCK, FOUND IN OUR STUDIO FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS. EACH IS HANDWOVEN IN-HOUSE ON A TRADITIONAL FLOOR LOOM, WITH JAPANESE YARN OF VARIOUS MATERIALS.

AN INCENSE HOLDER IS MADE TO COMPLEMENT THE EXHIBITION PIECE - TITLED ‘BUOY’.
ALTHOUGH DESIGNED AS AN INCENSE HOLDER, IT  CAN ALSO BE USED AS A VASE FOR A TWIG, OR A PAPERWEIGHT.
ITS SURPRISING WEIGHT ALLOWS THE INCENSE HOLDER TO SIT BALANCED ON ITS SPHERICAL BASE.
MADE FROM 100% SOLID CAST BRASS. EACH IS FINISHED BY HAND, WITH MINOR INCONSISTENCIES AND AN INEVITABLE PRESENCE OF THE HUMAN HAND THAT MAKES EACH PIECE DISTINCT. FINISHED IN RENAISSANCE WAX, THE BRASS WILL AGE GRACEFULLY WITH TIME, OXIDISING AND BUILDING ITS OWN UNIQUE PATINA WITH TIME.

PHOTOGRAPHS: YING ANG

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