Yixuan Chen
A Carousel of Selves
Prompt: The assignment asked us to create a soft sculpture using fabric and soft materials, and to explore form, texture, and personal ideas through the material.
This project is connected to my Community Embroidery work, where I transformed two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional forms. For this piece, I built the structure of the carousel using cardboard and explored the internal structure to make it spin.
In this project, I explored different sides and roles of myself in a more personal way. I created five versions of myself: the sad one, the one who loves cooking, the hurt one, the angry one, and the one who loves dogs. These five figures are not only different in color; their materials, patterns, and overall appearance also change based on their individual traits.
When the carousel begins to rotate, it reflects the way my emotions and mental states shift throughout everyday life. The movement of the carousel becomes a visual metaphor for how my feelings are constantly changing, with each version of myself appearing and disappearing over time.