Golden (2020)
ARTIST
Tayler Buss
Tayler is an emerging artist located on Treaty 1 Territory. Her work primarily with lens-based imagery, as well as poetry. Tayler’s work often surrounds the theme of cultural identity.
“As a mixed-race person, I feel as though I rest in limbo. My cultural identity has constantly shifted between white and non-white, often times rejecting the side that does not fit in. Producing work about my Chinese heritage has allowed me to accept and celebrate an aspect that I often rejected. In doing so, I hope to dismantle my own Western-colonial biases surrounding food, beauty, and language.”
LOCATION
211 Pacific Avenue
Winnipeg, MB
Chinatown / Downtown
(West-facing Wall)
ABOUT / ARTIST STATEMENT
Golden explores notions of identity through the cultural symbolism of mandarin oranges. In Chinese culture, mandarin oranges represent happiness, good fortune, and wealth. Presented at funerals, as housewarming gifts, or placed on tables after a shared meal, the oranges bring a large abundance within their small shells. The thin material of the plastic supermarket bag bears the weight of heavy traditions. A shield concealing a certain difference, a certain flavour, a certain feature. Yet the bag is torn, revealing the contents within. The tear begs an action: an invitation to look in or a release of itself. Rather than patching, this tear grows larger and wider, allowing the oranges to be seen. They glow in the light while the exterior pulls away, granting an acceptance and adoration of within. Golden prompts viewers to consider their own identity: how does it shift from day to day? Visual fractures guide the viewers’ eyes, inwards and outwards, navigating the intricacies of familial and cultural history. Though fractured, Golden remains a celebratory piece. Through vibrant colours and dynamic visuals, Golden treasures traditions and history, as if they are made of gold themselves.