CATHERINE
YANG
杨可欣
I have given my exhibition a title—“ Beauty without limits”. The reason why I can use
these three words to conclude my artworks is I have following these intension all the
way through my creating process. As a feminist, the elements of feminism always
inadvertently blend in my artworks. Women’s body and features about female are the
most common things I depicted in my paintings. What I want to convey, is the sense of
freedom and equality. In my life before the age of twenty, I have seen and heard so
many comments and criticism towards the appearance, the dressing, the behavior of
women, even myself have experienced these. “ Women have to be slim, have to be
curve, have to wear ‘properly’.” “ Women should be soft, should be housewife, should
be her husband’s accessory.” But, should we? The feminist consciousness germinated
in my mind when I gradually became a woman. I believe that we are the master of our
own body, we should not limit possibilities by following to those unspoken rules in the
society blindly. “Don’t let boundaries to yourself” became the only rule I followed when I
creating. In my exhibition, I have explored several subtopic around my central theme.
SET ME
FREE
125X135CM
INSTALLATION
MEDIUM PASTEL, ACRYLIC AND WIRES ON CARDBOARD
This is an introduction artwork of my exhibition which set
the theme “ Beauty without limits”.
It has combined variety elements to send out the
message that we want to tear down the stereotypes, but
at the same time we are locked up by the wires which
represent the social oppression towards women. The
red slogan, nude figure or the wires can both reflect my
personal expression which directly and intensively
convey a very important social message to the audience
— Feminism.
MY BODY
MY CHOICE
VARIOUS SIZES
PAINTING
MEDIUM OIL PAINTING
This set of realistic painting explored the topic of plastic
surgery, Different body parts displayed in six canvases
indicated several controversial types of plastic surgery
including eye, mouth, foot, nose and breast and a heart,
they have all connected by the woolen. This design
replies the plastic surgery only change the appearance
of the women’s organisms, but indeed, it will strengthen
the women’s heart, it is the empowerment of the
women.
INEXORABLE
FALL
38X46CM MEDIUM OIL PAINTING
PAINTING
‘Inexorable’ generally means unstoppable, the dust has
settled and difficult to change the reality. Under this
context, it indicating the separation of this couple who
was in love.
In the painting, the lovers is in the separating process,
they were originally a union, however, they sleep in the
same bed but dream different dreams, the woman is
determined to leave. The isolation unveils the
paradoxical emotion of intimate relationship and the
independence of the woman.
METAMORPHOSIS
VARIOUS SIZES
INSTALLATION
MEDIUM CLAY, PLASTIC CLAY, COTTON,
SILICONE, ACRYLIC, MELTED FABRIC, SILK
STOCKING, BAND-AID, PHOTOGRAPHY
This series of work explored from my
appeal project which discussed the
concept of plastic surgery under the
modern society in a positive angle.
Repair surgery is extremely significant
for the people who had an appearance
defect to overturn their life. This set of
installations including the different types
of defection has shown how did these
“imperfect” people reestablish the
confidence, accepted by the society and
get back to their life track through
photography.
A WOMANʼS
SIN
43X55CM MEDIUM OIL PAINTING
PAINTING
This painting explored from my apparel
project “bleeding beauty” which replies a
feature of women—the menstruation. The
nude woman figure has shown the beautiful
curves and lines of women’s body which
aroused the natural desire, the thistle and
thorns wrapped around the woman’s body,
indicating the pain women experience when
the period begins, it is also a symbol of
hardship when women give a birth. The
overflow of the blood dominates the painting
by using the only warm tone color in a cool
tone painting.
DYE
THE WHITE ROSES 52X64CM
PAINTING
MEDIUM CREATIVE OIL PAINTING
RED
This painting continues the concept of “Bleeding
beauty”, it combines oil painting and flower
decoration. A red woman body is soaked in blood
lying in a sanitary pad. A hand holding a bloody red
rose stretch out of the girl’s body represents a how
strong women are when they are giving birth, and
profoundly, indicating how did this girl being
oppressed by the society through the way of
growing up. Several layers of white roses represent
the innocence of the girl, but eventually, they will be
all dyed into red by her blood.
MY
PLASTIC
BODY
HUMAN SIZE
APPARAL
MEDIUM APPAREL, PHOTOGRAPHY
This is my first apparel project which
extend from one of the essential subtopics
of my exhibition “Plastic surgery”. There
are three looks in this series, various
materials are using in them including silk
stoking, silicone, plastic clay and many
types of fabric including organza, plastic
gloves and TPU. The white dress is made
of medical gloves and silicone which bring
the medical elements to the clothing and
the sinking stocking filled with cotton
represents the fat. The overall color
scheme is skin color.
BLEEDING
BEAUTY
HUMAN SIZE
APPAREL
MEDIUM APPAREL, PHOTOGRAPHY
This look is an exploration from my subtopic
“Bleeding beauty” which discuss the
vulnerability of women in a weak position of
the society. The top was made of special
reflective fabric and cotton material, and the
pants were made of translucent organza to
contrast the red top. I have designed a
complex structure on the top which combine
the hard and soft elements. The hard part
revealed the female personality charm and
fortitude, and the soft part hangs down has
shown the tenderness and beauty of women.
MOTHERHOOD
104X183CM
INSTALLATION
MEDIUM ACRYLIC, WIRES AND WOOLEN ON FOAM BOARD
Motherhood is an inalienable subtopic of Feminism. This artwork
reveals how maternity makes women a powerful and indispensable
group. The white acrylic leaves traces naturally on the brown
background and formed into a tree, that symbolized of “life”. The wires
intertwined together; they formed an armor of a pregnant woman’s
body. The overlapping of the tree indicating the woman’s body is the
origin of the life. The red woolen heart stand out from the sculpture
represents a woman’s determination to protect her children, but at the
same time, she does not have arms (power) to do so.
ANOTHER ME
UNDER THE BED
VARIOUS SIZES
INSTALLATION, PHOTOGRAPHY
MEDIUM ACRYLIC, WIRES AND WOOLEN ON CARDBOARD,
PHOTOGRAPHY
I believe every girl has their own nightmare, this set of
photography and the installation can let the audience
feel my personal nightmare directly. The concept
established on wondering there is another me beneath
the bed that will replace me in the world someday. This
installation art is formed together by two bedsteads, a
cardboard with a human body shape hole placed
between them indicating the spiritual connection. Two
girls represent a innocent side and a evil side of the girl,
through the interaction between them, a bloodcurdling
atmosphere was created among the photos which
corresponding with the nightmare theme.
MEMORIES
2224X1668PX
PAINTING
MEDIUM DIGITAL PAINTING
This painting reflects my profound thoughts and worries
as a global citizen. Women as an embodiment of
sensibility, we tend to easily have emotional ups and
downs about changes in the outside world, and I believe
the world become a better place because of us. This
painting reveals the connection I have built when I saw a
picture of warfare. A dirty boy who is grabbing a toy in
the ruins, he had lost his family in the war. The crying is
the grown boy, and the burnt around the black and white
picture represents the grief of this memory.