Things Fall Apart

Things (Concrete Items) Fall (Breaking) Apart (deconstruction vs reconstruction)

My idea was to create something that represented a reconstruction of a deconstruction process, which is why I chose to Things Fall Apart topic. I wanted to represent this idea through a ceramics process as well as mixed media of other materials. I ended up creating a wooden box and then breaking plexiglass and sticking it onto the walls of the box. I also created a hand out of plaster to represent this. Further pushing this idea, the fingers at the top broke off and I wanted to bounce this idea of reconstructing through this “mistake”. It represents my identity as an Asian American and how it feels to be trapped into this social construct of standards, which ultimately leave me feeling broken and not appreciative of myself and my cultural background. However, at the same time, the beautiful reflections that the plexiglass and light create show my perseverance in the palm of my hand, which I represent through my plaster cast. I may not be perfect as a human being; however, I am myself and my light of identity and pride shines through. I also used a 2D representation of this idea of Asian American girls feeling this way through interviews of friends I photographed, which I then painted on top of.

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