About

Yichen Wang is a designer who specializes in the field of knitted creations, including knitted textiles and knitted garments. She currently specializes in the interaction between human beings and objects as well as sensory experiences. Her work always emphasizes the visual, touch, and tactile. Moving between different textile fibres and knitted structures, she relies on the properties of the knitting field to create unique multi-dimensional sensory experiences that interact with the audience.

The project ‘Humanity in Objects’ was initially inspired by the Uncanny Valley Theory and anthropomorphic tendencies, exploring the multi-dimensional emotions people feel when different elements of the human body appear on objects. Hair, as a marginal remnant of the human body, possesses material durability. It makes familiar objects unfamiliar and evokes feelings of disgust towards the body. Historically, forced shaving has been used as a way of practicing gendered violence against women. Cutting a woman’s hair without her consent was a form of humiliation and de-sexualization. Hair is used throughout her knitted fabrics as a significant element in this project. She considers her textiles as a symbolic system conveying metaphorical emotions. She creates uncanny sensations through a series of wearable art installations that emotionally engage the viewer and provide unique sensory experiences.

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