Ruins · 1907

This collection reflects the relationship between the visible city of Shanghai, which people experience daily, and the "invisible city," which holds the hidden stories and deeper truths of urban life. To explore this concept, this collection incorporated specific ‘found objects’ - peeling fragments from walls collected from Wukang Road, a historically significant area that was once part of the French Concession in Shanghai, as material into the pieces. By combining these wall fragments with wood and metal, the collection captures the tension between what is seen and the rich narratives embedded in its layers, offering a reflection on the untold stories that shape urban life.

In this specific necklace piece, the audience may feel a sense of uncertainty when observing this piece as a whole, unsure whether the main focus lies in the wood frame or the wall fragments. This deliberate ambiguity reflects the experience of walking through Shanghai’s lanes, where visible elements like buildings dominate the landscape, while hidden, invisible stories reveal only small hints of their presence. The two elements mix together, and only by looking closely can one uncover the full narrative.

The feeling this necklace evokes is akin to walking through the city’s lanes. If examined carefully, the wall fragments come into clear view, but if observed casually, they seem to hide within the frame.