"A powerful and socially engaged installation that gives voice to marginalized women through layered narrative and material expression."
-------- Review from Future Art & Design Award
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Project description
Taiwan is a highly developed island nation, but along the highways where vehicles speed by, a phenomenon known as "Taiwan Betel Nut Beauty Culture" has emerged. "Betel Nut Beauties," also referred to as "Green Sweethearts," are a group of women dressed in revealing clothing who sell betel nuts by the roadside. The rise of this culture is connected to the fragmentation of society under compressed time and space.
Taiwanese artist Christian Wu has focused on this topic since 1995 and has researched it for over 30 years. Her study began with field investigations and has continued through documentary literature, new poetry, and her expertise in the visual arts. In the field of artistic creation, she has gained recognition for her unique style while also dedicating herself to art education and curation.
Christian Wu combines feminism with art, creating a platform to give a voice to women living at the bottom of society. Her "Betel Nut Beauty" works primarily critique the concept of "objectifying women" within the "patriarchal structure," enhancing overlooked female consciousness by expressing themes of the female body, desire, and consumer phenomena, highlighting the diverse roles of women in society.
“Betel Nut Beauties Series ─Chasing Dreams” is an installation art piece combining painting and ready-made objects. The main role of the painting is a sensual Betel Nut Beauty, also known as a Green Sweetheart, whose true identity is that of a brave woman who sacrifices herself a lot for her family. The artist was deeply moved by her story during the field investigation and created this piece to represent female strength. In the artwork, the woman looks toward her untainted self reflected in the water.
After completing the piece, the artist used the shoes she had worn as a ready-made object, linking them to the painting to create an installation artwork. Through this connection, the flat painting expands into a three-dimensional space. The sweetheart in the painting seems to step out of the frozen moment in time, engaging in dialogue with viewers from the real world.