RMIT School of Art Graduate Festival

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Hongya Leaya Liu

My project explores the subject of marriage in China and discusses a social phenomenon in China where countless young people of marriageable age who are not married are being pressured by their elders to get married. Within traditional Chinese values, getting married is a task that must be accomplished by everyone who has reached the right age. This has led to a lot of labels, such as ‘leftover woman’ and ‘bachelor’. I use performative, staged photography, self-deprecating humour and self-portraiture to discuss themes of cultural difference, personal and collective history, mental health, self-exploration, gender equality and social expectation. From my perspective, this work represents the protest of our younger generation who have received different cultural educations to that of our more traditionally-minded parents.


Wedding Photo, 2020
Photography
254mm x 181.44mm

Red Ribbon Hydrangea, 2020
Photography
254mm x 181.44mm

Fetter, 2020
Photography
254mm x 181.44mm

Rose, 2020
Photography
254mm x 181.44mm

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