COLLAGECANTO

Through the craft of paper cutting, knitting and collage, COLLAGECANTO reanimates cherished and color-filled memories of her school days. Her works unfold a fresh perspective on childhood, inviting viewers to gather inspiration from a reprise of innocent fun, warm friendships, curiosity and dreams.

On a black piece of paper in my classroom, there were photographs of important individuals, whether scientists or historical figures, related to what we were studying at the time. I discovered this portrait in an old book about past expeditions to the North and South poles. Unable to fathom the excruciating cold, as I live in a country with a tropical climate, I created this series of pieces as a warm refuge, where I imagine the travelers would rest and relax after enduring sub-zero temperatures. These pieces are displayed on a backdrop of black card, for although the travellers may now be forgotten, you could say that they still live on in the classroom in my memory.

The science room was where me and my friends snuck in to read horoscope columns from magazines because there we could be as loud as we wanted. I never went in alone though, because I was scared of the skeleton model and jars of preserved animals. However, as I got older, I began to like images of the bones and organs of living creatures. They feature in no small part of my recent work, such as these three pieces, which are based on the skeletons of the zodiac animals, with traditionally Chinese touches of red and gold for good luck.

This series is a trip down memory lane to when I first started creating with paper. I’ve only used collage, challenging myself to work with the materials already on my desk. In addition to reprising my first art-making technique, the series recalls the period of our lives as students who had homework to do every day.

Under a microscope, the forms of objects in our everyday lives can transform in exciting ways. Back then, during science class, I rarely got a chance to look through the microscope lens since we had to take turns. Sometimes, by the time it was my turn, class was already over. So, I studied the pictures in our textbooks instead. During lunch break— always eagerly awaited— I’d sometimes imagine what my favorite foods would look like if I could see it under a microscope. The grains of rice, or the meat that were so thin that the tiny patterns inside were visible. Mulberry paper is the star of this piece, which depicts a world of my favorite foods.

The creation of the work began with COLLAGECANTO analyzing her own conditions as a freelance artist who creates art in her house, thus, work and personal life are merged into one. The artist reflects the way of life that many of today’s generation becomes more associated with their home. The pandemic forced people’s lives to be inextricably linked with their homes. The resulting exhibition consists of a collection of paper art that tells the story of people’s relationship with their home through various perspectives. It’s like the words I am Home that can be translated into many meanings from different contexts.

The works in the I am Home exhibition are made from a combination of paper cutting and collage that the artist has accumulated over a long period of time. She also develops a new technique that comes from the reinterpretation of the previous method, that is to use thin paper threads like yarn. The paper yarn is knitted to create a woven artwork before being shaped to the desired form with connection to the concept of home. To the artist, paper cutting is a craft that is labor intensive and painstakingly demanding while paper knitting serves as a good break to rest the finger muscles.