MOTHER
2021-2022, mixed-media installation
dimensions variable

List of works:
1. MOTHER: Semi-translucent S-line, 2022, devore velvet, organdy, 130 x 57 x 57 in (330.2 x 144.9 cm)

2. MOTHER: Mirror S-line, 2022, vinyl 60 1/2 x 142 x 63 in (153.7 x 360.7 x 160 cm)

3. MOTHER: Organza Shield, 2022, silk, gold thread

4. MOTHER: Golden S-line, 2022, silk, metal brocade, 129 x 12 in (327.7 x 30.5 cm)

5. MOTHER: Silver S-line, 2022, silk, metal brocade, cotton, 8 x 22 x 16 in (20.3 x 55.9 x 40.6 cm) /

6. MOTHER: Chrome S-line, 2022, vinyl, 15 x 40 x 27 in (38.1 x 101.6 x 68.6 cm)

7. MOTHER: Antique S-line, 2022, silk, velvet, 129 x 12 in (327.7 x 30.5 cm)

8. MOTHER: Chainmail S-line, 2022, silk, metal brocade, cotton, 8 x 22 x 16 in (20.3 x 55.9 x 40.6 cm) /

9. MOTHER: Velvet S-line, 2022, devore velvet, 15 x 40 x 27 in (38.1 x 101.6 x 68.6 cm)

10. MOTHER: Pebble S-line, 2022, silk, cotton, 8 x 22 x 16 in (20.3 x 55.9 x 40.6 cm) /

11. MOTHER: Chrome Shield, 2022, vinyl, 15 x 40 x 27 in (38.1 x 101.6 x 68.6 cm)

12. MOTHER: Conductive Falconry Glove, 2022, silk, metal, vinyl, 15 x 40 x 27 in (38.1 x 101.6 x 68.6 cm)

13. MOTHER: Falconry Hood, 2022, vinyl film, brocade thread, 5 x 5 x 10 cm

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS / PRESS

2024
Harper’s Bazaar China – “Rewriting Couture with Code”

Award:
Bridge to Basel Awards, Fashion for All Foundation, New York, 2024

Savior is a sculpture installation conveying the impossibility of protection. The work uses 100 percent stainless steel. Xiao employs archival couture techniques to fabrique by hand an armor of strength and vulnerability. The armor piece is sculpted from one single piece of extremely fine graded stainless steel material. Through deliberate hand treatments such as notching, draping, slashing, pleating, molding and tucking, Xiao pursued the architecetual construction according to the material’s natural fluid properties. Technique-wise, it explores the high art of couture making and applies it as an artistic instrument beyond functional expertise.

About
Savior is an intricate sculpture piece hand molded from 100% stainless steel mesh that has undergone special treatments. Crafted from metal, every touch leaves an indelible mark, a testament to the Xiao's intimate dialogue with the medium. Each bend and fold in the technique scraped and etched the broken millimeter-thin wire into the artist’s hand and becames entwined with the artist's presence.

Earning the prestigious second place across all categories at the Bridge to Basel Awards by Fashion for All Foundation, Savior stands as the unrivaled champion in the realm of pure artistic expression. Judged by luminaries including the illustrious Tommy Hilfiger, visionary founder of his eponymous brand, and the esteemed CaSandra Diggs, venerable chairperson of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, its accolades speak volumes to its profound impact.

From steel to mesh to armor, the birth of this piece was guided by the artist's deft touch, infused with their feelings and subconscious responses from start to finish. Who is protecting, and who needs protection? This fusion of vulnerability and fortitude, encapsulated within the steel's embrace, offers a profound reflection on the feminine experience, a delicate dance between fragility and resilience.