Qi Lin, Bound
‘On the empty mountains no one can be seen,
But human voices are heard to resound.
The reflected sunlight pierces the deep forest
And falls again upon the mossy ground.’
- 鹿柴 (Lù Zhaì) by Wang Wei (translation by James J.Y. Liu, 1962)
To view the Augmented-Reality experience, click this QR code link with your phone to download the Adobe Aero app and load the image onto a wall. It works best in good lighting on a flat surface.
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This was a collaboration with special effects makeup artist Kelton Ching and model Vivian Lee, shaped around our shared love of beauty that is mixed with feelings of sadness and foreboding.
The vision I first had when we were sketching out the idea was of a face of a woman with horns, shrouded in shadow and looking away. Kelton took that idea and ran with it, fleshing it out and bringing his immense skill to the project. Kelton’s design of the makeup and sculpted prosthetics was inspired by Peking Opera, Chinese ink paintings, and the mythological beast Qi Lin, a creature with dragon and deer-like features, also known as a kirin or kỳ lân in other parts of Southeast Asia. Finally, Vivian brought Qi Lin to life with her somber and ethereal movement, perfectly disappearing into sorrow and grace.
To accentuate their work, I applied the shibari (rope bondage) patterns that would be both restricting and aesthetically pleasing, beginning with a simple box tie, to diamond-pattern harness and leg ties, and finally a free-form tie that also incorporated dried plants and flowers.
To me, the feeling is autumnal, reflecting our natural biosphere struggling under the harm done by human activity. It is my sincere hope that as a species we can recognize our actions and be better stewards of the earth before it is too late.
You can see more of Kelton’s work at his instagram page https://www.instagram.com/keltonfx/ , or visit his Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/keltonfx/ . Vivian’s work can be found at https://www.instagram.com/vivianhklee/ .
