Eunice Kuo

In reflection of my previous collection- Squirdgy Species, which made in 2012. Squirdy Species is design to enlighten the grown-ups during bad weather by its function of collecting water and squeezing liquid out like water gun. I wish the playfulness of this collection can bring everyone back to the childhood and enjoy the rain.

During 2012 to 2016, I have experienced in several dramatic changes in life, such as finishing my postgraduate degree, betrayed by my loved one, feeling isolation of living in a total unfamiliar city for art residency, family member passed away and UK government’s policy of discrimination against foreigners, etc.

All these encounters have made me realized that there are so many things in life that we cannot do anything about it but WAIT. By looking back into my previous works, I deeply feel that I was really naïve when I made the Squirdy Species collection in 2012. While the darkness has covered me, I feel the need of examine this collection and make a contemporary response. By using the same materials: silicone rubber, metal and water to deliver a new concept.

Goldfish scooping is a common game in Taiwan and Japan when I was a child. The idea is to use the thin layer of paper to scoop up goldfishes as much as you can before the paper broke or within a minute. The winner can take their scooped-up goldfishes back as reward. However, after being a grown-up has altered my thought about this. I started to feel suffocated when seeing goldfish flopping on paper and seeing the fish tank as a restriction of freedom. The horror of living in an unpredictable but inevitable misfortune is tormentous.

This collection is a set of two metal works that are actual size of the average scooping tool. By using thin later of silver at the bottom, heating unevenly create wrinkles to mimicking the paper being soaked into water. In addition, pouring white food-grade silicone to present the colour of paper and it also has function of fixing the goldfish toys on to metal while it cures. Goldfish toys replicate the original life form but seem totally lifeless seize the moment of suspended time. Adults often choose to drink alcohol to dispel their gloominess; therefore, this collection has been defined as sake-ware, which is container for strong Japanese alcohol. Overall, Goldfish Scooping Sakeware stands a different point from Squirdgy Species but inherit its forms and function.

作品為反思作者於2012年製作的一系列矽膠盛水容器珠寶，舊作就像是可配戴式的水槍，用於搜集雨水並可反覆擠壓噴水，希望喚起佩戴者的童心，不懼怕弄髒衣物並回歸到小時候自在踐踏水灘的初心而感到快樂。此後四年，作者歷經多次心境轉折、生活的變動、親友的生離死別及身處異鄉多處受限於英國當局排外政策的影響，深深感受到人生有許多無可奈何、悲傷以及只能等待卻無能為力的狀態，欲藉由相同的材質及盛水的功能，以新的型態做一個反思創作，諷刺當年心態的過度單純。

與舊作一樣從童心出發，撈金魚為作者童年中至關重要的回憶。小時候覺得開心的事物，長大後因心境的不同而轉換看世界的態度。生命的有限性及不可測就如同金魚沒有選擇權的在池水裡，看似自在的游卻游不出那池。不知何時會被選上、撈起，經歷窒息的掙扎與折磨。

作品為一組兩件，以擬真的尺寸呈現撈金魚的網，製作時底部刻意使用薄銀片，在焊接加熱時使其受熱不均產生波浪，如同吸了水的紙；白色的食品級矽膠為底，象徵紙網；金魚為商店販售的安全玩具，擬真卻毫無生命力可言的樣貌，使原本應動態的狀況凝結，呈現窒息感。定義為酒器則傳遞了成年人遇到困頓會借酒澆愁的現象。

The 6th Annual Earrings Exhibition invited by the BMFJ Gallery at Taipei, Taiwan. 

This collection is a further development of previous project "No more tears, tear no more". "That day" focusing on the life after broke up. Memories sometimes crashing back to life with no warn. I wish to surf over it instead of drowning. The use of solid tape once again represents the complex emotions that come along with those sweet and sad past, layered by layered to create a flexuous surface. During the process of making, each tape surface would require thousand times of taping actions. Although this repeated actions are very time consuming, however, it gives me a peaceful mind while making it.

Framing these memories in long last metal frames has a meaning of embracing those pasts no matter how bitter or joyful they were. 

2016年受邀參加台北藝廊“爆炸毛頭與油炸朱利”的第六屆耳飾創作聯展。

「那天,你還記得嗎?」

回憶有時候就出其不意地像浪潮般席捲而來,各種情緒層層疊疊堆積滿載,以為鮮明的記憶卻 其實有點模糊;以為模糊淡忘了的事卻又再某個瞬間清晰。那些美好片刻,我們多想讓它成為 永恆,而那些不堪回首的,想忘也忘不掉。腦海中思念的人事物,就像相框中的老照片一樣, 憶起那些故事時彷彿歷歷在目,握在手中的相片再真實不過,但其實,那飛逝的時光,我們除了回憶,什麼也留不住。

作者擅長以抽象及形而上的概念為出發點,利用極簡的線條、材質間的互動以及物件在生活中 的意義來傳遞訊息。透過這樣的手法,希望能激起觀者心中的共鳴。「That day | 那天」延續上 一系列作品中使用的透明膠帶,代表著人與人之間情緒的連結、複雜的感受,並隱喻人心對喜 愛事物的佔有慾。 

This project dedicate to people who have ever struggled in love.

I always try to think positively, and it usually comes naturally. But one day, I found myself sinking and could not cope with this kind of emotion anymore. I felt myself helpless and anxious in an unpleasant relationship. I tried so hard to find a balance to keep this relationship going, but situation still gradually went down. It did not end happily ever after, instead it ended worse than I could imagine; I started to doubt my ability to love someone. I don’t trust the essential element of being a human. 

My world started to collapse and I sank. I lied in bed and gravity held me tight. Tears ran from me, as they were frightened to stay on my face. I shouted in my mind but no one heard my voice. I struggled and struggled, alone. 

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When love becomes heavy, it blinds our eyes and numbs our feelings. Even it is apparent when the connection between two begins to crack. Yet we deceive ourselves as long as we can of its existence, we cling to the loved one, even if in turmoil.

Sorrow did not stop when the relationship ends. The commitment from the one you loved keep echoing in mind for a while. The only solution to heal the wounded heart is by time. We learn lessons from previous experience; therefore, we then know when to cut off next time.

In this collection, each metal ring represents a being. Due to gravity, the metal rings dropped further, gradually through time, which shows in the installation. The weight of the rings determines the speed at which they drop. Soren Aabye Kierkegaard’s ‘theory of fall’, regarding anxiety, is delivered. Psychologist Robert Sternberg’s ‘triangular theory of love’, regarding relationship, is symbolized as triangular metal units. The use of solid tape materialized the complex emotions that we have in an unpleasant relationship. Tape is representative of the mind in this state. It sticks to anything and in turn possesses. 
 

Metaphysics and time are concepts that I am obsessed with. The familiarity of daily objects creates streams of consciousness that formulate many different stories in peoples’ minds. My work invites the viewer to enter a sequence representative of life. A selection of objects expresses seven different stages in a person’s life. The use of soap bubbles indicates the time that we can never hold on to, that which we only experience. As I am in a stage of finding my position in this world, by looking back into the past and dreaming about the future, thus I exist. No matter which stage we are in, we shall never forget the purest joy of play. It is the initial desire that motivated us to explore the concrete world and provides the building blocks for the sequence of our life.

All Photography by Edward Sheen

Royal College of Art X Pitt Rivers Museum

When I first saw the chain linked spoons in the Pitt Rivers Collection, I wondered why these everyday, utility objects were linked together with a chain. I was curious because there was not much information telling the story of this object. After more research, I discovered how chains were used in ceremonies.

Curiosity led me to create my own version of the object. I chose to work with aluminium because it is not only lightweight but, to me, the material represents the revolution of technology, allowing me to produce the chain work in a new and novel way.

I decided to make a film of people working in pairs and let them interact in their own ways with the chained spoons that I had made. As the couples played with the object they were forced to engage with each other in an intimate space. I discovered how my object could draw out meaning in terms of harmony, collaboration and supportive relationships.

Subsequently, I designed a response piece representing the modern equivalent of my chosen object. The size of it would allow two people to fit it across their neck. This yoke-like form would have a fork and a spoon at each end that could only pick up certain foods. People would have to feed each other if they wanted to taste all of the food on the one plate. The length of the neckpiece would force the participants to negotiate the object in one direction at a time. 

Experimenting the possibility of casting a wine glass in metal. However, it didn't work out very well in the end due to difficulties of its shape and thin wall.

In this project, each person has to choose an object from V&A museum and made a series responses to it. The final outcome will be a collection from each member and be published into print-on-demand book. 

Introduction

Since I have decided which object that I wanted to research from the V&A museum. I had a very confusing journey of finding the true information about my chosen piece.

Firstly, the structure and the material combinations of Sigurd Bronger’s work attracted me when I saw it displayed in a glass box in the cabinet. It has been separated from other jewellery and I could not recognize how it should be worn. Following with research on the V&A website, there was a paragraph written about contemporary jewellery but I felt it was not indicating Sigurd’s work and actually very contradicted to my chosen object. 

After this, I read Sigurd Bronger: laboratorium mechanum, a book about the maker’s pieces. In this book, presenting the piece was actually dangling down from a postcard but the postcard was missing from the display in V&A. Image of the initial display made this piece understandable in a certain level. However, there were still few doubts that I wanted to clear. Sigurd is currently working and living in Norway. I decided to email him to ask about further details. He kindly replied my email and told me the whole story.

This project had been through more than two months exploration and development. I found myself having a hard time of understanding the truth and was confused many times by information that came from different places and myself. I made one or two objects for each version of stories as responses. It representing what I obtained from each stories.

The layout of the context is designed to be my final outcome of this project.

Royal College of Art X Galerie Marzee

Marzee webpage:
This year is the 5th and final GSM&J exhibition in the Effe Kijken/ Let’s have a look series hosted by Galerie Marzee. The BIGGER picture project asks our students to open up questions about inner experience and exterior appearance, to explore the notion of personal universes and collective reality. We want our students to investigate these two realms of experience and the ways they interface and interact in their own life. [interior and exterior worlds]. What are the frames and frameworks we construct to navigate through, across and between these worlds [frames of mind]?
As a point of departure each student will receive a photo-frame, an object where the real and virtual worlds meet, 2D meets 3D. This frame should, in some form or other, be part of the outcome you will present at Galerie Marzee. We live in a world of images. Many people spend as much, if not more, time inhabiting the virtual world as they do the real one. Our attention is constantly switching between these two modes of information input. As object makers we can ask how this constant involvement in the virtual affects our perception and appreciation of the real and just what is the relation between objects and images that we all so readily take for granted in our daily lives ? [virtual and real].”

Statement:
Memories build up our personality but we shouldn’t trap in the past too much. Ying-Hsien (Eunice) Kuo wants to raise the notion of treasure the present day and focus on creating better futures through action of people pick up, play, put down her work and carry on in their life.

BA final project.

Frequent summer afternoon thundershowers in my hometown has inspired me to make pieces that can contain water. As a result of my observations, I gather that most grown-ups feel depressed during the bad weather, while nearly every child enjoys to play in the rain and is not afraid of getting wet.

This in mind, I use bright colours and a playful appearance in my work to cheer people up. My pieces are wearable and combine metal with colourful silicone. One of the collections is designed to collect water, which can be squirted out to surprise the viewer. Another collection is playing with texture of silicon rubber. I wish to bring everyone back to the childhood and enjoy the rain.