Curator: Zhiheng Ashely Zhang
Featured Artists:
Teng Teng/ Tiantian Li/ Xinyi Tao/ Yin Zhang/ Asato Kitamura
Collaborating Brand:
Ver
Exhibition on view:
Sep. 30- Oct.15, 2023
Location:
Accent Sister, 157A first St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
“Woman was turned into plant, panther, diamond, or mother-of-pearl by mingling flowers, furs, precious stones, shells, and feathers on her body,” wrote Simone de Beauvoir in “The Second Sex.” In Beauvoir’s portrayal, these adornments served as both constraints and disguises, where dressing up was a game for women but also a task imposed on them by men as subjects. However, flowers, fur, jewelry, and shells themselves did not possess the power to metamorphose women into plants, leopards, diamonds, or pearl mothers. This interpretation of dressing reflects the longstanding perception of women and minority groups as objects in society, exploring their identities through external objects crafted by societal subjects.
Nevertheless, the artists featured in this exhibition have subverted Beauvoir’s perspective. They regard jewelry, clothing, fragrances, and other wearables as mediums for self-expression, transforming clothing and miniature paintings into sculptures and jewelry. They employ traditional wearables for unconventional artistic expression, bestowing upon these objects new contemporary meanings. They create the most intimate items that come into contact with our skin, rather than passively accepting predetermined definitions of wearables, thus opening up new possibilities for dressing. Much like Virginia Woolf’s portrayal, when Mrs. Dalloway in the opening “buys the flowers herself,” societal objectification ceases to exist. What remains is our control over our own lives and our awareness of our own identities. Now, when we wear flowers, it is not to imbue us with the meaning of plants but to bestow meaning on the flowers.
Artworks Introduction
The curatorial concept of this exhibition intricately explores the transcendence of clothing beyond its utilitarian function, positing it as a distinctive medium for artists to articulate their creative expression. This paradigm shift not only serves to amplify self-confidence but also fosters narratives that deviate markedly from prevailing conventions surrounding women’s attire in the contemporary milieu. In realization of this curatorial premise centered on wearable art, the exhibition has convened a cohort comprising five emerging artists and a distinguished brand. Post the denouement of the New York Fashion Week, this assembly serves as an opportune juncture for a collective reevaluation of the intrinsic meaning inherent in the act of wearing. Consequently, the exhibited artworks collectively contribute as individual facets orbiting within the thematic parameters of the curatorial framework.
Miniature Paintings as Wearable Art
Teng Teng “Art to Wear”
Teng Teng is a multi-disciplinary artist who works at the intersection of art and jewelry design. She graduated with an M.F.A. in Oil Painting from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. In 2016, Teng Teng moved to New York. Shortly after moving there she began her artist residency at Flux Factory and co-hosted a mini painting workshop with the Queens Museum. She has participated in multiple solo and group exhibitions in New York, Shanghai, and Denmark. Recently she participated in New York Fashion Week in a collaboration with fashion designer Snow Xue Gao.
Lingerie as Wearable Art
Tiantian Li “Love Me More”
Tiantian Li is a painter and designer. Born in China and now based in New York and Philadelphia. She attempts to explore the intimate relationship between the female body and clothing and to display this relationship in a unique visual way by using different materials, including not only watercolors, oil paintings, monotypes, and collages, but also sculptures and large-scale installations. The work covers characters from different periods, and through reading history, to think about the status and sense of security of women today.
Clothing as Sculpture
Xinyi Tao “Syn-biomorph” “Orchid”
Xinyi Tao (preferred name Tao) is a fashion designer and 3D artist. Born and raised in Suzhou, China and now based in New York. She explores the dimensions and boundaries of fashion design and achieves with a unique patternmaking skill. In Tao’s thesis collection, her “Syn-biomorph” creations challenge conventional notions of fashion by blending opposing visual elements and materials. Donna Haraway’s work has been instrumental in shaping her understanding of the “cyborg” as an entity that blurs the lines between human and animal, organism and machine, natural and unnatural. The artist fuses sci-fi aesthetics with Biomorphism and reinterprets organic forms through a unique, futuristic lens.
Unconventional Fashion Clothing
Yin Zhang “Fly a Kite”
Yin Zhang identifies as a multi-disciplinary artist who employs fiber materials and structures as her medium. Through her work, Yin often attempts to reflect upon, break down, and visualize abstract, non-tangible concepts such as spirituality, ritualistic behaviors, and the ephemeral human nature experience. With each of her art pieces, she prompts personal questions for discussion and shares her process of self-discovery with audiences. During her leisure time, Yin enjoys traveling and conducting field research, immersing herself with makers, artisans, and craftspeople she meets.
Asato Kitamura “Graceful Blemish” “Symbol of Emotion”
Asato Kitamura’s art in this exhibition is unconventional clothing, serving as a manifesto to encourage rethinking emotions. Inspired by Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions, he depicts the complexity of human feelings, aiming to enhance diversity, celebrate all genders, and promote self-affirmation. Raised in Japan amidst Nichiren-Shoshu practices and Buddhist art, his unique imagination was shaped by the contrast of familial discord and divine prayers. Studying at Parsons MFA Fashion Design and Society, he delved into Freud’s and Nietzsche’s teachings, embracing trauma acceptance and the beauty of imperfections. To him, art transforms life’s pain into elegance.
Fragrance as Wearable Art
Ver “Protein Series”
Ver, the fragrance brand, draws inspiration from the Latin word “Ver,” symbolizing spring, youth, and authenticity. Their slogan, “When bodiless aroma combines with sensible objects,” reflects their exploration of scent and artistry. In this exhibition, Ver transforms fragrance into wearable art, fusing the intangible allure of scents with tactile artistic creations, transcending conventional boundaries to offer a unique sensory experience.
More Photos from the Exhibition:
About Accent Sister:
Founded in New York City in 2018, Accent Accent is a cross-border, multi-disciplinary platform devoted to hosting literary events, creating and supporting writing communities, and discovering and publishing new literary voices. Our team is primarily based in New York City. We have an offline bookstore and art space, Accent Sisters, in Jersey City.
Our mission is to connect creators who identify as Chinese and of Asian heritage through a variety of activities, including bilingual workshops, publishing, residencies, open calls, and art exhibitions. We endeavor to create a fluid, nomadic community that facilitates synergies across borders, languages, and media.