With a longstanding fascination with the process of hand-applied hotfix cubic zirconia, I have appropriated this artisanal technique, originally part of the decorative system in consumer goods and explicitly gendered and aesthetically labeled into my image-making process. In this series, I reconstruct the visual form of a fence using synthetic zirconia, hand-applied onto the surface of an image printed on velvet. These fence forms, once functional symbols of separation, confinement, and control, are reinterpreted here as shimmering layers of surface decoration. This visual strategy mimics a power structure in a gaudy manner, simultaneously undermining its seriousness in the process.
In my view, there is always an impenetrable perceptual "fence" between the image and the viewer, one that is both psychological and physical. The attachment of zircon to the velvet image not only creates a visual surface but also constitutes a reflection on "depth." The viewer is confronted with a surface construction that deliberately obscures the depth of its content through material, luster, and craftsmanship. This emphasis on surface challenges the cognitive superiority of "depth" in traditional art narratives, redirecting attention to the surface as the true space of perception and the generation of meaning.
At the same time, the embroidered borders commonly found on handkerchiefs, pillowcases, and clothing during my childhood have also been incorporated into this series of works as a form of "gentle fence." These details, often dismissed as "surface decoration," are, in fact, key visual elements in my work. Unlike more violent symbols of separation such as fences, serrated edges, or blades, lace is elegant and delicate. Yet, those seemingly harmless threads are also involved in the creation, regulation, and maintenance of boundaries. In this creative structure, surface and depth, decoration and power, desire and prohibition intertwine, forming a layered viewing experience.
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Rosa Rampart
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
63 × 82 cm
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Street-Facing
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
32 x 47 cm
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Before the Descent
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
41 x 62 cm
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The Same Plane
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
51 x 33 cm
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Untitled and Liuhe Road
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
44 x 67 cm
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The First Page, The Last Chapter
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
39 x 37 cm
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The Unspeaking
2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Cubic Zirconia
51 x 35 cm
Exhibition on View:
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In my view, there is always an impenetrable perceptual "fence" between the image and the viewer, one that is both psychological and physical. The attachment of zircon to the velvet image not only creates a visual surface but also constitutes a reflection on "depth." The viewer is confronted with a surface construction that deliberately obscures the depth of its content through material, luster, and craftsmanship. This emphasis on surface challenges the cognitive superiority of "depth" in traditional art narratives, redirecting attention to the surface as the true space of perception and the generation of meaning.
At the same time, the embroidered borders commonly found on handkerchiefs, pillowcases, and clothing during my childhood have also been incorporated into this series of works as a form of "gentle fence." These details, often dismissed as "surface decoration," are, in fact, key visual elements in my work. Unlike more violent symbols of separation such as fences, serrated edges, or blades, lace is elegant and delicate. Yet, those seemingly harmless threads are also involved in the creation, regulation, and maintenance of boundaries. In this creative structure, surface and depth, decoration and power, desire and prohibition intertwine, forming a layered viewing experience.
Rosa Rampart 2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
63 × 82 cm
Street-Facing2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
32 x 47 cm
Before the Descent2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
41 x 62 cm
The Same Plane2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
51 x 33 cm
Untitled and Liuhe Road2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
44 x 67 cm
The First Page, The Last Chapter2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Hotfix Cubic Zirconia
39 x 37 cm
The Unspeaking2025
Photography Printed on Velvet, Hand-Applied Cubic Zirconia
51 x 35 cm
Exhibition on View:
Peishan Huang: Imagining a Returning Arrow
