Threads of Identity
Booth 1C29

Wang Ye (b. 1990) grew up in Shaping, Changsha, a small town in the Hunan Province of China, which is also the birthplace of the famous Hunan (Xiang) Embroidery (Xiu). Many of their family members were involved in the embroidery industry as embroiderers or small silk workshop owners since his birth. After graduating from the art school in the US in 2017, Wang returned to China to develop his silk embroidery series. For his upcoming project, Wang will shed the highlight on the local women embroiderers he works with and their dual identities through their exquisite craft.

Over the past five years, Wang has collaboratively worked with local embroiderers, discussing the intricacies of production while engaging in casual conversations during breaks. These ongoing and intimate interactions have provided Wang with rich stories about the lives of the embroiderers, fueling their exploration of hometown narratives and the forgotten history of the silk embroidery industry. Most of the time, these embroiderers work with their heads down, leading Wang to see often the back of embroiderers’ heads and the various hair accessories adorning them. Gradually, these images echo the portraits of the embroiderers in Wang’s mind.

Informed by this conceptual framework, Wang collects various court hair ornaments from antiquity that inspire his sculpture series on view. These ornaments are composed of pearls, blue-dotted feathers, and jade, all of which are the product of unique forms of nature. While the results are romantic and poetic, they simultaneously indicate a haunting weariness, alluding to the intensive labor and craft required by artisans to make such objects.

At the booth, Wang will showcase three handcrafted silk embroidery pieces, each set against a backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, evoking a strong sense of freedom. These works are adorned with elements such as flowing pearl hair ornament, lotus leaf, and delicate gauze that seems to be on the verge of vanishing. Their ethereal movement evokes a sense of being lost and found, as if they are drifting away only to gently return, capturing a poignant feeling of rediscovery. Each embroidery piece represents months of meticulous labor, showcasing the silk embroiderers’ superb craftsmanship.

There will also be two hair ornament sculptures covered with special metal treatment by the artist. These ornament sculptures are much larger than the actual hair ornament, showing a sense of masculinity while retaining their graceful curves. The new jeweled works offer Wang a veiled outlet for their femininity. By repurposing these jeweled objects through the mediums of embroidery and sculpture, Wang’s dual identities find liberation: The hair accessories were reimagined into monumental pieces, establishing the presence of women’s labor and aesthetics.

Through exploration of materiality, craft, and history, Wang Ye reveals not only the dual identities of the embroiderers but also their own. By juxtaposing embroidery with sculpture, Wang critically examines the intersection of gender, labor, and beauty, offering a nuanced critique of societal norms and personal identity within the contemporary context.