Exhibitions:
Karen Tam
Sinography, 2013
21.05.13 – 03.07.13
Karen Tam’s *QueenSpecific installation, Sinography, is an array of faux porcelain tiles made of paper. The tiles are created using a photographic process known as cyanotype. The process results in a blue-and-white image akin to the Delftware style, which decorated homes and fireplaces in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. The imagery present in Sinography is one that references the trade, travel, consumerism and exchange between Europe, North America and China that has occurred for centuries. Tam’s installation includes references to the 1968 Mao mango mania, in which the mango became the symbol for the working class in China. Tam has also included images of hot air balloons, which were used to transport and drop much-needed food over the Burma Pass in China during WWII.
Karen Tam is an artist and current doctoral candidate at the Centre for Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. Her playful and evocative installations combine historical and contemporary vernaculars with a specific interest in the history of the Chinese Diaspora. Her site responsive installations explore cultural identity and authenticity.
www.karentam.ca
Curated by Stefan Hancherow and Jennifer Simaitis.