星陨之绊 The Ties of the Fallen Stars2023
Approximately 13.5 x 15 x 20 inch
Intaglio print on Aizome papers, Unryu paper, book boards, acrylic, glass beads, satin threads, silk organza, abaca pulp, stone clay; Letterpress printed on Zerkall Ingres paper
Edition size: 3
I created this artist's book titled The Ties of the Fallen Stars to explore invisible bonds between people, or it is also a home that keeps all my ties. I got the inspiration from the traditional Chinese myth of Three Lives Stone. It is said to be a stone that allows the dead to see their past lives, present lives, and future lives. This artist's book is in the shape of a traditional Anhui-style building from southern China. The structures of the Chinese domestic house "step mountain walls" and "four waters return to the hall" represent the expectations of countless generations for a home: to shelter me within high walls, to collect memories from all directions in the hall in front of the courtyard, and to keep my most cherished possessions in the tile-covered chamber. In this artist's book, I placed the Three Lives Stone, wrapped in a red thread, in a box shaped like a room with a corridor and front hall for collecting memories in front of it.
In order to explore invisible bonds, I created this artist's book titled The Ties of the Fallen Stars for my Three Lives Stone, or rather, a home that keeps all my ties. This artist's book is in the shape of a traditional Anhui-style building from southern China. I settled my idea into this artist’s book. The structures of the Chinese domestic house "step mountain walls" and "four waters return to the hall" represent the expectations of countless generations for a home: to shelter me within high walls, to collect memories from all directions in the hall in front of the courtyard, and to keep my most cherished possessions in the tile-covered chamber. In this artist's book, I placed the Three Lives Stone, wrapped in a red thread, in a box shaped like a room with a corridor and front hall for collecting memories in front of it.
The artist's book consists of high, tiered walls that enclose a spacious main house with a wide roof, as well as a courtyard surrounded by four-sided eaves in front of the main house. This type of wall has a special name called a "step mountain wall" which is higher than the roof of the building. Its form is a tiered staircase shape that falls in layers with the variation of roof height. The courtyard inside the wall is the gathering place for the water of the whole building. The structure of the courtyard is called “four waters return to the hall.” The Chinese believe that water is spiritual.
In my book, sloping eaves on all sides enclose a small courtyard, with embroidered beads representing raindrops sliding down from the eaves and gathering in the depressed area of the courtyard floor. Behind the courtyard is the slightly higher main house, separated by a screen made of several layers of blue Taihu stones embroidered with thread. Inside the main house, there is a piece of Taihu stone tangled with red thread, which is my Three Lives Stone. The stone itself is in the shape of Chinese character "念 nian". As mentioned before, "念 nian" represents people’s longing, thinking, loving, nostalgia, desire, and obsession. I constructed the entire structure using book boards and hand-printed all the door and gate patterns with hand-drawn copper plate intaglio, imprinting the raven-colored window edges and door decorations on the outer walls with a deep black ink. Unlike the striking and vibrant architecture of Beijing’s Forbidden City, the gatehouses here are silent. They are wrapped in blue-tiled white walls that collect all the time and memories in the courtyard, as well as all the rainwater and tears that fall from the sky.
The use of Chinese characters in my work resonates with Xu Bing’s work. His study of Chinese characters jumps out o f the calligraphy-study category. It removes the viewer’s perspective from ancient oriental culture into a new level of understanding. He touches on the boundaries of the clash and intersection of Chinese and Western cultures, showing the complex relationship of exclusion or intermingling. His work perfectly illustrates the current situation of many Chinese students: before we go abroad, we have no idea about Chinese culture, the way of functioning, or the practice of working. After going abroad, the translation process between different languages creates logical confusion. His work achieves a subtle cultural rapprochement between China and the West.
My inspiration to create a sculptural artist’s book was book artist Julie Chen. Her books always revolve around small moments or ordinary objects, which she uses her imagination and exceptional craftsmanship to transform into unique creations that stand out among other artists. Each time I open one of her handmade books, it's like unwrapping a box of surprises, never knowing what fun and exciting elements will appear within its pages. Chen's books always contain some secret information presented in the most playful way possible: some pieces of information are revealed only by the order of flipping through the book, while others are hidden within multiple layers of folded structures resembling gift boxes, and some even within cocoons. This combination of playfulness and serious content forms her unique style. Every time I look at her books, I'm filled with a passion for bookmaking not only for the format but also for the production process, innovative ways of presenting content, and the various visual elements at play. Throughout the creation of my artist book, I couldn't help but reflect on the impact that Julie Chen's work has had on me; I have constantly strived to incorporate the same emotions and inspiration into my creative process.
When I made the home for the stone, I tied the red threads with the stone and let another end disappear beyond the walls. The red thread has always been a common ornament in Asian cultures. In my culture, it is believed that all close relationships are tied together by invisible red strings. When a red string is tied around one's wrist, it is said to connect one with another person whose destiny is intertwined with theirs. The red thread winds around and connects to the other end of the faraway place, not to get rid of the worries, but to give them a place to settle. It's like a thread that connects life and death, and the wandering soul, which floats in the void, suddenly sinks down with endless lovesickness. From then on, the lonely soul wandering in the desert finally finds its desired person, from adolescence to old age, and even after death it will turn into dust without any regrets.