Kristi Chen

Basket Blighted

Creating a dialogue recognizing the erosion of inter-generational knowledge through the documentation baskets blighted displayed the disappearance and retrieval of a possible heirloom. Using silicone and incense as a medium not only conveyed a sense of disappearance and destruction, but activate the baskets to perform on their own. The sensual dripping of the silicone and the slow burning incense creates a narrative that can be operated within the vicinity of any space. The work touches the impacts of globalization in relation to craft; how these laborious traditions are slowly dissipating through the devaluation of skills. As an artist, it disappoints me that through all the tedious, meticulous work that goes into basketry is not worth it in the end. It is also interesting me that the research process of learning basketry and my papas dialect is through social media such as Vimeo and Whatsapp. My family members do not know how to weave baskets, therefore the knowledge is cultivated through social media resources rather than a familial member.