The Residue of Separation

29’w x 25’D  x15’ H

Collected hair, printed silk organza, printed mirrors, found prayer bench, used books, and metal chair frames and artist’s braided hair

When we consider separation, the hair physically separated from our body or to the emotional separation from our love ones are symbolic and important. Jan-Ru Wan collected human hair over a period of one year from salon floors around the world (Arnhem, Netherlands; Taipei, Taiwan; Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) to create a large-scale installation, which speaks to migration and culture. Hair is something highly personal and yet universal. Hair is a part of our body and yet we purposefully dispose of it, leaving behind pieces and strands in public places like barbershops and salons. Wan’s hand-sewn silk pouches are filled with the discarded hair she had collected. Each pouch has a print of a smiling face on top. The collection of silent smiling faces on the silk pouches becomes a silence force; speaking of abandonment and unwitting acceptance.