Tiffany Lamp

This work explores the paradoxes associated with designing digitally fabricated antiques. It draws on existing concepts of relics and de-contextualizes the history of making, stripping the object related to its past. The original Tiffany lamp was handmade by skilled craftsmen, not mass- or machine- produced, therefore by digitizing this art form it is a contradiction of principles. In this new renaissance of art making, digital fabrication processes strive to retain the essence of the material and the skill of the human hand, while benefiting from the precision and efficiency the practice provides. The work was made using the laser cutter and the CNC machine. 

Integrative Senior Project 2018 

My IP Thesis work brings out the “hybridity” between my Chinese heritage and my American upbringing as an adopted child through digitally fabricated artworks inspired by Chinese bronze mirrors. These objects blend traditional Chinese and American symbols with digital fabrication design. My project considers how the digital handmade alters what we consider to be craft and how it changes the meaning of the artwork being constructed. 

This series aims to celebrate multifaceted heritage and beauty in multicultural narratives, while warding off negative perceptions that might blind-side us. As early as the Han Dynasty, Taoist monks wore bronze mirrors on their backs to ward off evil spirits. They believed that evil destroys itself on recognizing itself. These works are a visual representation of my journey to finding my voice, reclaiming the stories of my heritage and past and infuse them into new objects to share.