Juju Wang, House of Strawberries 2020
House of Strawberries
2020
Clay, crystals and mirrors
280 x 300 x 400 cm
House of Strawberries, an installation inspired by evolution of strawberries (shape, colour, taste), reflecting a social distortion. In the same manner that the strawberries are easily bruised and are very fragile, the installation focuses on the fragility of self and nature, identifying with a constantly changing society and the social, psychological and physical impact that our actions have upon us and everything that surround us. The work also conveys an underlying message of a mother’s struggles to protect her child’s health and safety in relation to the state of fresh produce and its’ often ambiguous sources. The irregular shapes of the porcelain pieces recall an era where food wasn’t aesthetically-standardized and ‘perfect’, compared to present-day situations where harmful pesticides and genetically modified plants are the norms. The work thus also questions the impact that our human species has over the planet and how future generations will never see, taste or feel the world as we know it today. Irony.