My project emerges from a deep exploration of human fragility and the tension between utopian dreams and their inevitable collapse, drawing inspiration from the visionary work of Lee Bul. Like Bul’s art, I grapple with the desire to construct powerful, futuristic worlds, yet they are imbued with an inherent failure – moments of fracture and disintegration that prevent the vision from becoming fully realized. Lee Bul’s personal history, growing up in South Korea during a period of political instability and dictatorship, profoundly shaped her artistic worldview, influencing her exploration of power, control, and the disillusionment with utopian ideals. This very exploration forms the foundation of my work, where the pursuit of perfection is in constant conflict with the messy, unpredictable nature of reality.
This inspiration manifests itself in the design of my garment – its tailored, sculptural form, the bold, architectural shoulders that appear to dominate and elevate the human body, yet simultaneously suggest fragility and collapse. Like Bul’s suspended architectural installations, reflecting and shattering into their surroundings, my design embodies the tension between order and chaos, between the artificial and the organic, between the desire for control and the inevitable force of entropy that disrupts it.
The embroidery in my work is a tangible expression of the dissolution of utopia. The intricate threads are woven with precision, each detail meticulously crafted, yet the overall composition reveals a built-in fragility – like a vision of perfection on the verge of unraveling. The metallic embellishments, shimmering and delicate, are carefully integrated into the fabric, yet they invite contemplation on their own impermanence – akin to a mirrored structure beginning to fragment into shards. In my project, embroidery is not merely decorative; it is a direct metaphor for the human desire to grasp control and perfection, juxtaposed with the understanding that these aspirations are always slipping, breaking, and dissolving before our eyes.
