Nude Jade Pierced
Vol.3 Brutal States
“Piercing” for jade seems to be a dialogue with a piece of jade in the coldest way. But when I used the word “dialogue”, I suddenly realized that I had regarded the stone jade as human in my mind. The visual stimuli presented by this series of works brought me painmade me feel painful, as if what is being pierced those body nailspiercings pierced and penetrated is not jade but a flesh and bone. The jade in front of me is no longer just a beautiful, uninterrupted stone, but has been given a new definition and a new potential.
- Xiao Liang, Gallerist
on Tai’s solo exhibition Nude Jade Pierced at The Closer Gallery, Beijing
> Fruit-Teabag, Galerie Beyond
Cruising In The Wilderness
Phoebe zhennan wood, dyed and sealed with oil. Surgical stainless steel, Nylon thread, Oxidized silver, Rubber
Tender, denoting softness, sensitivity, and care, provides passage for the wayward individual to find solace and unconditional comfort. In contrast to the harsh paradigm of a competition-obsessed society, tenderness encourages vulnerability and compassion between our fellow travelers, lovers, and friends. As part of the second edition of Spectral Matter, A Tender Presence seeks to bring together queer makers who instill, exemplify, or even resist the intimacy of tender interactions. Through this underlying theme, objects submitted for the exhibition will embody the softer side of human connection through their presence, potential use, and material qualities.
- Curatorial Statement, Alma’s Gallery, Exhibition Tender Presence
Third Lotus Prince in Outer Space
About ‘Third Lotus Prince in Outer Space’
The Third Lotus Prince is a mythological deity that has the body of a lotus and who fights dragons in search of a new body. This quest for a new identity leads them into acts of rebellion and sacrifice, often at odds with the reigning rules and regulations in society-at-large. Floating somewhere in between the physical and cybernetic domain, this collection of contemporary adornments visualizes and materializes the magical weaponry of the Third Lotus Prince from a queer-dominated perspective. By positioning the mythological God in an unapologetically queer hyperstitional reality, Hansel creates room for an alternative interpretation of notions surrounding identity, sexuality and power. With this timely interpretation of a century-old myth, Hansel challenges us to further explore and interrogate our banal conceptions of life in the past, present, and the apocalyptic future.
Fagatopia
“Hansel Tai is on a quest to expand queer aesthetics taking visual cues from various nations’ military insignia systems. He is intrigued by the logic behind their designs – such as three stars, four stars – and attempts to create a new alternative power system dynamic.”
Eden of the East
