Onwards!
36” x 36”
Acrylic, red thread, fused glass on stretched canvas
Chinese Opera performances combine history, culture, and performance into a compelling narrative. Wang Zhaojun Chu Sai 昭君出塞, is a story of the opera in which natural beauty Wang Zhaojun, who was once an ignored concubine, leaves her home country and everything she knows. The original story does serve political messages, as she had left in order to marry with another leader in order to ease tensions between the two states. However the telling of this story is often used in Peking Opera, and the symbol of Wang Zhaojun is retold to share the broader messages of discovery, adaptation, and the human journey.
The artist retells this story to relate to the journey of self discovery. It is said that once married, Wang Zhaojun eagerly learned the way of her husbands people, doing labourious work and partaking in cultural practices. In this sense she was not afraid to learn new things and push beyond the boxes of her previous life. The artist uses red thread referencing the Chinese fable of destiny as a bigger metaphor to self identity. The character resembles opera performers’ hairstyles and uses the symbol of Wang Zhaojun’s iconic red cape to empasize the feeling of a departure from tradition to something new. As with the other pieces in this collection, the artist sprinkles in queer symbols to highlight the nuances of identity and discovery.
Click through the photos on the left to get more insight on my process!