Swan Song

Swan Song

Myths and folklore permeate our culture and shape our beliefs. They are larger-than-life creation tales; they are superstitions that bring good luck and bad dreams; and they are vessels for stories rich with ancient tradition. Nowadays myths are not perceived as fact but rather as sources of inspiration. I find myself drawn to myths from all over the world, as they provide unique and culturally rooted perspectives on the way the world exists.

Swan Song features mythological characters whose identities and legacies are deeply intertwined with their transformations into animals. I portray their animal forms within enameled adornments that the characters might wear to remind themselves of their dual identities. Enameling is a transformative technique which involves fusing powdered glass at molten temperatures. The delicate enamel highlights the characters’ elegance, as well as the fragility and transience of their shapeshifting abilities.

In their stories, the characters face threats to their presented identities, appearances, and roles in society. Transformation myths embolden a desire to escape or become someone else. Such challenges, however fictional, resonate with my personal struggles with body dysmorphia and feelings of being an outsider in both Chinese and American cultures. My transformative work invites audiences to consider how the intimate relationship between jewelry and wearer can create a unique, meaningful narrative. Myths continue to thrive in modern times, reveling in the power of emotional storytelling and human nature’s desperation to make sense of the world.