I adapt the paper-cutting style associated with the Hubei Province in Northern China to transform rice paper into five intricately detailed representations of the modern woman. Adorned in stylish dress and high heels, each figure epitomizes the conventional Western ideal of feminine beauty. By combining paper cutting, a Chinese art form dating to the sixth century, with stylized depictions of contemporary consumerism and aesthetics, my work explores the powerful impact of Western cultural dominance on Chinese society.

I emigrated from China to the United States in 1997, and my experiences as a first-generation immigrant inform much of my work, which often interrogates historical and cultural themes from a Chinese perspective. I also addresses the complexities inherent in straddling two distinct cultural worlds. For example, when creating the female figures in Women and Money, I drew inspiration from the traditional facial features and hand poses of the Chinese Pi Ying and the exaggerated postures of models in Western fashion design, thereby weaving together the American and the Chinese.