He An

He An
Together
2021
Cast aluminum
488 x 260 x 140 cm

The artist collects jeans worn and discarded by family and friends, and rips them into rags by hand. He took the stitches apart, separated some details, and piled up mounds of scattered cuffs, inseams and waistbands. The resulting strips of thin denim are placed on floors and countertops, before being turned into cloth shapes from aluminium. The casting process is meticulous, with the aluminum “cloth” fine enough to capture details such as buttons, shreds and even seams.

This work is shaped like a human spine, which is not difficult to resonate with people, because the objects used in the creation are worn on the human body. Clothing is the most direct symbol of human beings. It represents the body itself. After turning into aluminum, it also has the meaning of weight, and the ashes after cremation.

About He An:
He An (b.1970, Wuhan, China) is one of the most representative artists born in the 1970s’ China. His practice spans installation, sculpture, and photography. Born in the era of China’s economic expansion, He An’s works extensively reflect the physical and emotional impact brought about by urbanization, industrialization, and globalization. Combining urban industrial materials – advertising metal panel, concrete, neon light and stolen signs, etc., he transforms them into an artistic language.