Inter-Rituals: Exploring Materiality and Performance in the Works of Female Artistswith Experience in Fashion
Rituals are known to all human societies. Through ritualistic practices, we make connections to the objective world while furthering the understanding of subjective selves. But what makes a ritual and what makes something ritualistic?
The exhibition “Inter-Rituals: Between Materiality and Performance” curated by Jin Wang brings together works by three Chinese female artists working in the US, who xhiexplore the concept of ritual in relation to materiality and performance. All experienced in fashion, Kun Hong, Yin Zhang, and Yinglun Zhang each present a unique perspective of the subject, thinking about rituals from the “ephemeral” performativity – whether it is spiritual, cultural, or philosophical – but stemming from the material ground. Kun considers rituals from the semiotic intersection between the cultural-political systems and individual subjectivity. Yin tests the boundary between ritualistic practices and daily activities while reflecting on the
unknown in self-discovery. Yinglun deconstructs rituals into pure philosophical and elemental components, emphasizing the meditative power in the process of creation.
Kun Hong is a visual artist, designer, writer, and activist, based in New York City. Intrigued by the fabrication of meaning through form, she utilizes established semiotics of the global, contemporary fashion and art system as her method of expression. Her works juxtapose and weave together references from cross-cultural, historical, and political research, subtly addressing social experiences and concerns of intersectional communities.
Yin Zhang is a multi-disciplinary artist who employs fiber material and structures as her primary medium. Yin’s works are usually based on and/or inspired by her traveling and field research of traditional craftsmanship, but from an intimate perspective that emphasizes the process of self-discovering. Through her work, she attempts to reflect, break down, and visualize abstract, non-tangible concepts such as spirituality, ritualistic behaviors, and the ephemeral human-nature experience.
Yinglun Zhang is a designer, dancer, choreographer, and multidisciplinary artist. Her work explores the interrelationships between different disciplines and systems, breaking them down into essential elements and re-constructing them into an interactive new existence. She is especially interested in movements and rhythms, through which she reflects on abstract philosophical ideas that would challenge and then reimagine dualism such as mind and body, human and nature, spiritual freedom, and material, etc.
Jin Wang is an art historian, independent curator, writer and educator based in New York City. With diverse experiences working with various art-related institutions, she now dedicates herself to helping both emerging and established artists and collaborates on projects that overlap with her research interests such as decolonization, transculturalism, and Asian Diaspora. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Art History at The Graduate Center, CUNY, focusing on global modern and contemporary art.
