These are quite beautiful—Jessica So Ren Tang’s embroidered pinups of “suggestively posed” women.
Jessica uses embroidery to explore her Asian-American identity—“the dualism of being too Asian to be American, and too American to be Asian.” Her work includes embroidered reproductions of Chinese bowls, takeaway noodle boxes, candy wrappers and decorative plates.
In her portrait series of pinup girls Jessica has replaced their “the facial identity” with exquisite Asian textile patterns.
The patterned skin creates a broader spectrum of Asian identity; it becomes more ambiguous and fluid as identity moves between the two.
The resulting image also captures an erotic charge between the model’s pose and the sensual nature of the embroidered patterns. Each portrait is hand embroidered on a piece of 8” x 10” fabric. More of Jessica’s work can be seen here.
‘Girl 04’ (2016).
More of Jessica So Ren Tang’s fabulous work, after the jump…