Lanxuan Liu, “Intertwined”

Lanxuan Liu
Chicago, Illinois
florenceliu.com

Intertwined
2020
Abaca paper, cotton threads
OPEN: 36″ X 24″ CLOSED: 18″ X 24″

Artist Statement

The unique editioned artist book ​Intertwined​ ​portrayed an imagery of the feminine body in which various systems and patterns are embedded within each layer of the skin. Each sheet of paper is handmade using abaca skin fiber and cotton thread inclusion. ​The evidence of repetition and labor is key to the work. It reflects the struggles of compromising and confronting the system of order; the contrast between the conscious and the subconscious; the relationship between the origin and the otherness; the contrast between the forced and the failures. The book is a channel to delve deeper into the subconscious mind, to reflect on how the female body is shaped by society and how to react to the unpredictable challenges. ​The tangible action of flipping through the pages is challenged by the tangled threads to create a sense of struggle and chaos. By overcoming the tangle and getting to the next page, the process reveals what is underneath each layer of the skin. The action of tangling and untangling is a performance ​to self-reflection, self-investigation and to self-meditation. ​It is about searching for the order within the randomness and appreciating randomness within the order.