dog sweat
work from directly from solo exhibition at Arhway Studios, as well as additional work
exhibition text:
Responsibly caring for a dog requires a lot of time, effort, and resources. Dogs cannot speak to us directly (no matter how hard we wish or believe) and express themselves through body language, facial expressions, and other behaviors such as panting. A dog will pant if they are too hot, to express contentment, or if they are in pain. As owners, we slowly learn how to decipher this language of care and how to navigate our companion's needs. For the past three years our stinky-mutt Bonzu has been my obsession and muse— guiding me to reorient myself within the world as well as reevaluate how I look after another living being. Dog Sweat is an homage to this relationship, combining aspects of our co-dependency with my research into historical Korean ceramic vessels, shiny metal clay, world-building, fortune-telling cards, and humor. Not all of the dog sculptures in the exhibition are Bonzu, but they use the form of dogs to express themes of empathy, humor, and storytelling.
work from directly from solo exhibition at Arhway Studios, as well as additional work
exhibition text:
Responsibly caring for a dog requires a lot of time, effort, and resources. Dogs cannot speak to us directly (no matter how hard we wish or believe) and express themselves through body language, facial expressions, and other behaviors such as panting. A dog will pant if they are too hot, to express contentment, or if they are in pain. As owners, we slowly learn how to decipher this language of care and how to navigate our companion's needs. For the past three years our stinky-mutt Bonzu has been my obsession and muse— guiding me to reorient myself within the world as well as reevaluate how I look after another living being. Dog Sweat is an homage to this relationship, combining aspects of our co-dependency with my research into historical Korean ceramic vessels, shiny metal clay, world-building, fortune-telling cards, and humor. Not all of the dog sculptures in the exhibition are Bonzu, but they use the form of dogs to express themes of empathy, humor, and storytelling.
