Hairfolio I / Hairfolio II

"Books" and "pencils" have been the objects that artist Hsin-Wen Hsu uses as her creative materials and continues to explore.

Books are the the carrier of knowledge. The deconstruction of the physical feature of a book seems to open up the possibility to reimagine the concept of learning and pursuit of dreams. The work on exhibit here holds a phonetic secret, which is the key to link the symbols hidden. In Chinese, "book" and "to comb", as well as "methodology" and "hair" are respectively homophones. This coincidence, after being pointed out by the artist, bridges the gap between the dictionary definitions of the characters and brings forth a new connection. Old boundaries have been broken, and new possibilities are formed. The deconstructed books and hair appear to have a painting quality. The stacked-up frames and elaborately-arranged hair still allow the viewers to see through the installation from different angles. With a touch of phonetic humor, the artist encourages imagination and creative connection of objects.