'Under Wraps' Series
Stay With Me
Introvert
Under Wraps
We’re Almost There
In October 2020, out of a growing need to personally synthesize my long series of previous engagements with themes of feminism, the body, and cultural/racial identity, I looked inward to create Under Wraps. Using spandex mesh that commercially is used in women’s compression undergarments, I created a series of work that explores the tension of my biracial experience as it relates to the female body. On my Japanese side, it feels preferred to keep things under wraps and not draw attention to oneself. In contrast, I feel that individualism and extroversion are celebrated in the U.S. With pieces of organically shaped fabric, fragmented lucite pieces, and voluptuous insulation foam spilling out from behind the taught spandex mesh, I explore how these conflicting messages coexist. The work also ties into themes of body shame, constructed femininity, and a subversion of the ethos to control women’s bodies.