HANDS UP

My work expresses my intention of calling attention to the value of old buildings and think about what young people should contribute to the renewing of the city. The old buildings in Jingdezhen symbolize the spirit of China and remain as historic relics of the last generation. “Hands” not only represents workers who built the city by hand but showed that a new generation is rising. I was inspired by the new buildings which were replacing old ones in my hometown of Jingdezhen, the capital of ceramics, which has been in a renewal program. Every time I go back home, I feel a little strange even in the familiar houses and streets. I found a lot of ceramic “hands” discarded by a rubber glove factory near my father’s studio. I chose 100 “hands” reclaimed from the ruins of old factories, took the molds back and cleaned them, then wrapped them with color wool yarn to give them breath and make them come alive again.