Pei-Hsuan Wang |2

Pei-Hsuan Wang made a series of fascinating sculptures in homage of the women in her life. Her grandmother, who supported the family in Taiwan selling fruits from her orchard; her mother who migrated to America to start a new life; her close-knit group of aunties. They appear as if from myths and folktales, glazed in green, amber and white, the colours of Sancai burial objects of the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Today, Sancai pieces are sought-after artifacts linked directly to China’s venerable past. To Wang, who grew up in different cultures, questions of heritage are part of wider stories she explores through her art. Huddled Mass (Tree of Aunties), for instance, evokes the Chinese myth of Nüwa, the goddess who shaped humanity from clay. A desire to belong blends with the moment of creation; Nüwa’s serpent body intertwines with figures and creatures that allude to members of the artist’s family.