Through this work, I reflect on the dehumanising effects of an education system focused solely on results, where students lose their individuality and are reduced to mere numbers, processed and sold by the “exam factory.” It’s a commentary on how we, as students, are shaped and judged by an external system that measures our worth by how well we conform.
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In Fresh Meat, I reflect on my own experience as a student, drawing parallels between students and pigs waiting to be butchered. We live and study without independent thought, controlled by a system that commodifies us. The red marks on our papers aren't just corrections—they are our prices.
The "pork" in my work is embodied in four screen-printed books. Initially, I experimented with materials like man-made skin, soft clay, and real meat, but none allowed for the printing process I envisioned. After much trial, I turned to fabric—curtains to be precise—cutting and dyeing them to mimic the texture of meat, using glass glue to replicate the fatty layers beneath pigskin.
The inspiration for this came from Louise Bourgeois’s À L'Infini, where red lines represent blood vessels and organs, creating an emotional connection to life and motherhood. I sought to evoke a similar emotional response, using tactile textures to replace text, allowing the viewer to feel rather than read. And the red marks are actual notes and corrections from my high school exams.
The project is entirely handmade, with each piece capturing my personal emotions at that moment. The most striking part of the project involved taking these "pork" books to a supermarket, alongside real meat, to engage with customers, parents, and society. By purchasing the books, they became part of the project, further highlighting the dehumanising impact of the educational system.
Fresh Meat isn't about explaining or reading long texts—it’s about confronting the viewer with raw, emotional visuals. This project serves as a personal reflection of my own educational journey and a statement for all Chinese teenagers who have been shaped by this system.
Janarury 2022
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