A SILENCE DANCE
JIE ZHOU & JING LIANG
12–29 September

PART I presents Zhou Jie’s jewellery series Celebrating Aging (2021) and Untitled (2023-2024) . Celebrating Aging (2021) focuses on the natural ageing process and beauty standards in contemporary society.

The project fosters acceptance of diversity of women by addressing a poignant issue: wrinkles, which often result from the passage of time. Zhou employed silversmith, weaving and glass techniques to reproduce body wrinkles, initiating a nuanced conversation about “imperfections” with the materials’ contrasting fragility and strength. Glass accentuates the intricacies of the imperfections from the silver castings of wrinkles impressions, featuring details such as cracks and bubbles that naturally occur during the production process.

Butterfly is a central design element in Zhou’s jewellery artworks, drawing from its rich symbolism in Chinese culture, which represents freedom and perfection. The butterfly symbol combines with the craft materials, creating wearable sculptures that celebrate diversity, and shed light on the enduring beauty that lies within the imperfections of time.

Untitled (2023-2024) is part of Zhou’s ongoing doctoral research, exploring the intersection of beauty and imperfection. It delves into the concept of 'incomplete beauty,' a theme rooted in both Chinese philosophy and feminist theory.

Utilising metal as a primary material, Zhou crafts narrative jewellery that draws directly from real interview stories, extracting key themes and personal histories to create pieces that reflect the strength and resilience of women. This work not only challenges traditional beauty norms but also encourages a broader societal acceptance of imperfections. Through these creations, Zhou seeks to inspire women to embrace and celebrate their own unique identities and paths.

Jie Zhou is a PhD candidate at RMIT University, her research focuses on narrative jewellery with an emphasis on women’s stories. Zhou’s artistic practice is deeply interwoven with her personal experiences, reflecting social issues through her creations.

PART II presents Jing Liang’s ceramic installation Archive (2023). 

In the work Archive, the corn husks and corn silk are built into the process of forming sheaths of ceramic material, and then dried, fired and finally manifesting white ghostly bundles. Substances of porcelain and corn are utilised to explore the labour and social structures in relation to women, and how their relationship to everyday lives are considered to inform political awareness. The relationship of clay formed through the process of using corn sheaths reflected ideas of time and productivism, linking to questions of existence and narratives around the female labour often hidden within agricultural production.

Jing Liang is an artist based in Naarm and a research candidate in RMIT University. Her artistic practice revolves around a methodology of material experimentation and myth-making, situated within the contexts of socio-political considerations.