YU JU WANG
ON THE BEACH (2024)
Textile, iron, sea sand
Dimensions variable
If sculpture has traditionally focused on the representation of the human body, then materials such as metal, wood, stone, ivory, or bronze have long shaped our common understanding of figurative form. These substances often symbolize solidity, permanence, authority, and endurance.
On the Beach seeks to explore variations of bodily form through different materials — namely fabric and stuffing.
As a material intimately connected to daily life, fabric is widely used in clothing and domestic objects. It carries a clear sense of functionality and is commonly regarded as a basic element of fashion and household design. Within this cultural context, I attempt to step outside its predetermined functional framework and reconsider the potential of fabric as a sculptural medium. Through the use of soft, mutable structures, I reference the smooth texture of skin and the curved movement of the body, exploring how material can translate sensations of strength and softness.
By working in this way, I aim to open another dimension of sculptural experience — one that invites the viewer to perceive how material transformation itself can become a mode of seeing.
