The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to present the Fordham University Galleries Online first installment of 2021, a portfolio of projects by Taiwanese artist Ya-chu Kang. Our gallery regularly features a body of work by a contemporary artist, alternating with our Adjunct Faculty Spotlight Series, in which our talented adjunct faculty share samplings of their production with the Fordham community.

Ya-chu Kang is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice focuses on the relationship between humans, nature, and their intersection with social issues. Her ongoing textile cultural history research highlights the rich connection between craft and physical labor and its junction with trade and social structures. Kang’s projects often question how contemporary circumstances influence our understanding of tradition, affect economies, and impact natural environments. Both travel and residency experiences implicitly shape her perception, and exhibition themes strategically reflect site-specific concerns of materials, processes, and community-based collaborations.

Kang is a recipient of the 2007 Freeman Fellowship Program of Vermont Studio Center, the 2008 Asian Cultural Council Fellowship Program, the 2014 Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation Fellowship Program, and numerous AIR Fellowships for her research. Since 2006 she has exhibited works locally in Taiwan and internationally in Japan, Europe, North America, and South Asia. Kang has researched textile culture in Japan, Peru, Thailand, and India with her publications, including Textile Map Volumes 1, 2, and 3.

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Image: Dirt Carpet #9 – Taitung, 2020, Mountain dirt
The concept of this installation originated from the Taitung city’s location, which is surrounded by mountains and faces the sea where one can see the first sunrise from the Pacific Ocean. It is a stunning natural landscape, a traditional settlement of aboriginal cultures, and a rich natural resource that has attracted land development company interest. The ongoing construction process has caused ecological concerns and controversy, indirectly destroying the beaches and marine environment.

Dirt Carpet #9 is dirt and crushed stones shaped into repeating and symmetrical patterns. The sun and rays of light in the center mimic the warp yarns of the backstrap weaving loom. This type of loom uses two beams to hold the warp yarns, which attach to a strap passing across the weaver’s back and are fixed at the waist. This weaving method is popular among many indigenous cultures in various countries.

Patterns include daylilies, sugar apples, bonito fish, pottery wheels, and agricultural artifacts unearthed from the prehistoric ruins, in addition to construction-related images. The installation incorporates unpredictable external forces as time passes, how life responds to action, and intervention changes patterns. Location: Taitung Art Museum, Taitung, Taiwan. This series has been presented in Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Portugal, UK, and Hong Kong. It utilizes the shift of patterns and materials to tell a story and provide a new physical experience for audiences.

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For further information please contact Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock.

The Fordham University Galleries are currently closed to the public in response to COVID-19. In the meantime, please visit our gallery website frequently, as our exhibitions are still underway.