M.Y. Chinoiserie

M.Y Chinoiserie is a sculpture installation consisting of a series of ceramic sculptures, steel fixtures, pearls and silky ribbon. The artwork deals with experiences of exoticization through playing with historical contexts, the social hierarchies associated with them, and their continued influence on present-day cultures. It aims to bring together material artifacts and traditional techniques in order to speak on the role of everyday objects, perceptions of values and aesthetical agents in racialized, gendered and commonly accepted narratives.

The work refers to the porcelain cabinets often found all over Europe in Baroque and Rococo palaces. The cabinets were collections of Japanese and Chinese porcelain that represented the wealth and power of their owners. Instead of porcelain dishes, the installation presents sculptures resembling ceramic vases and sex toys, with Baroque pearls and on-glaze decal details. Each ceramic element is decorated with a tongue-like shape cut in half that refers to the invalidation of speech.

M.Y. Chinoiserie was presented part of the group exhibition Kuvan Kevät, the annual MFA Degree Show of the Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Helsinki, at Exhibition Laboratory in 2021.

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