September 22 - Oct 10, 2022
291 Grand St New York, NY
Reception: September 30, 2022 6 - 8pm
Reflecting upon the beauty of our identity while recognizing the injustices we still face today
This project came as a response to the seemingly endless barrage of violence reported on nearly a daily basis.
Processing the toll of mass shootings, war, and the disturbing pattern of attacks and killings targeting specific identity groups, I feel a numbness settling in. Simultaneously, I feel the wounds of trauma survivors getting deeper…further from healing with each incident.
While trying to figure out how to legally purchase pepper spray in New York, my leaky memories brought me back to days and nights of previous traumas inflicted because I am an Asian woman. Were Michelle Go and Christina Yuna Lee feeling the fear already?
From silk I can make anything, so why not create an object fetishized and feared for its comfort and protection from the materials I use to wrap my own fetishized and feared body. Does the form isolated from the function carry the same power and allure or is it just another object made to be fetishized?
The title “Neither Helpless nor Dangerous” has a dual meaning:
1. Your toxic idea of strength and masculinity is not actually meant to protect you or the weak.
2. I -an Asian woman- am not a threat to you, a dangerous virus, or a sexual temptation that you need to eliminate.
