Yu Fang explores the processes of weaving and the position of human body. She works across different facets of silversmithing, textile, site-specific installation and collaborates with diverse artistic fields.
Through curatorial projects, Yu Fang aims to make forgotten stories visible and offer alternative narratives for interpreting them. This has led her to initiate projects Including Inner Crease (2015), Tacit Recollection (2017) and Insistent. Gestures. (2019). In 2019, she received Career Development Grants form Australia Council and undertook residencies in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Yu Fang gained a doctorate from RMIT University and received Diana Morgan Gold & Silversmithing Prize in 2018. She has exhibited extensively nationally and internationally, her works have been collected by Gold Museum in Taiwan, International Craft Biennale in Korea, and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
The Drop
A feature of Melbourne is its outstanding natural beauty. What interested me is to observe and capture the impression of water, as well as the natural elements (e.g. river, sea, tree, wildlife) around the site.
Inspired by the impression of water and natural beauty, the 2.5-meter high sculpture in the form of a giant drop alludes to the water element of river, which is one of the most symbolic icons of Melbourne. The sculpture relates to water as a means of centralising the community and as a metaphor that speaks of the individual stories of this place.
The work Drop,is a homage to the beauty of nature and represents the relationship and outlook towards the water that surrounds us. Made from reflective stainless steel and Corten, the work responds to the connection of nature and contextual history of the land. Through the inlayed brass circles on the plinth, the gold ripples also echo the mining history in this area.
The Drop has a playful and open relationship with the viewer. Through the hollow structure, people can look through or walk into the giant drop, as well as play with the reflection. While wandering around the artwork, audiences can observe the mirrored surrounding landscape.
Through the movement and engagement with the sculpture, this project invites visitors to pause, appreciate and reconsider the contextual history and natural beauty of the city.