Mail Order Bride Label
Collection:CSM Museum & Study Collection
Date: 2015
Artist: Si Xing Season Cheng;鄭思行
Dimensions:
40 × 50 mm (4 × 5 cm)
Medium: Gilding metal pin holder, printed satin ribbon, leather
Object number: J.2015.871.CC.1
DescriptionMail Order Bride Label Brooch by Si Xing Season Cheng
In this particular piece, I focused on how South East Asian women are perceived in Western media (and society), and further listed out the qualities of such portrayal on the back of the label like fibre content on clothes. A silvery colour ribbon echoes the “wedding” theme, along with the pink "Chinese takeaway" font (generally classified as "Oriental") to add more context within a limited space. As accessories, they do not adorn, but add extra (unwanted) statements to the wearer. The labels can be easily pinned on, mimicking how easy it is for people to make racial stereotypes.
In this particular piece, I focused on how South East Asian women are perceived in Western media (and society), and further listed out the qualities of such portrayal on the back of the label like fibre content on clothes. A silvery colour ribbon echoes the “wedding” theme, along with the pink "Chinese takeaway" font (generally classified as "Oriental") to add more context within a limited space. As accessories, they do not adorn, but add extra (unwanted) statements to the wearer. The labels can be easily pinned on, mimicking how easy it is for people to make racial stereotypes.
