Fang-Wei Hsu

Flamboyance New Life, 2017
120 x 30 x 10 (cm)
Aluminum crutch, ribbons, organza, feather, fringes, netting, gold and silver metals, Swarovski crystals, acrylic found objects, LED lights and battery.
Website: https://www.hopersart.com/
Taiwan
Image by Fang-Wei Hsu
VO by Mari Weiss

ABOUT FLAMBOYANCE:

My design maintains the functionality and practicality of the crutches while its style speaks to disabled people’s desires for relationships and connections with others as human beings with confidence and self-love. My crutches say, “You deserve beauty and happiness, join me and be fashionable.” My design intends to challenge society’s stereotypes against crutches and disability, I believe that the design of assistive technology must be functional and fashionable; disabled people are not objects of pity, but a symbol of beauty.
The project I submitted shows a sense of sweet romance. Blending in the style of 1920s, I imagine that this crutch is something that royal princess would want to own.
-Fang-Wei Hsu, translation by Sandie Yi

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Art making is a process of psychological and soulful metamorphosis to me. I explore my living experiences and my relationships to disability and disability identity through mixed media in my work. The use of mixed media is a luxurious adventure of freedom. It enables me to express abundant personal feelings and thoughts. I intend to engage with my audience in conversations and challenge the stereotypes against disability through the reuse/reinvent adaptive technology, for example, my crutches. As someone living with a rare disease which impaired my physicality and mobility, and living with acquired hearing lost, my body is a site for mindful practices; my body is a force in leading me to live with creativity, wisdom and humor. Art making is not simply an internal conversation or emotional outlet, it conveys my perspectives of life. As an artist, I move beyond the role as the recipient of help, I make art as a way to impact people’s understanding of aesthetics and world view.
-Fang-Wei Hsu, translation by Sandie Yi

DESCRIPTION

Flamboyance New Life:
The arm rest is covered in white marabou feathers and a white chiffon scarf that dangles to the side. Across the ribbon- and fabric-covered struts are swags of pearl and rhinestone necklaces. Two white doves sit on top of the lower curve of the crutch. One dove wears a black top hat. Above them on the covered struts are heart shaped rhinestone brooches and a peach colored rose. Hanging over them is a large teardrop crystal and long cream colored tassels. Below are a fabric butterfly and teal, white, pink, and blue flowers. A large bow is tied beneath the curve of the crutch and the shaft is wrapped with cream colored ruffles.
-audio description by Teri Grossman
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The Opulent Mobility license refers to the exhibit and its audio descriptions. Individual artworks are the property of the individual artists.