Events

CHAIRPERSON

Dr Courtney Fu, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

This presentation explores how Chinese women asserted their identities through representation that increased their visibility and affirm their sense of self. It discusses women as both desirable symbols and avid consumers, particularly in graphic design and photographs created between 1912 and 1949 that illustrate commodities, design and modern taste. I will examine how consumption transformed women’s appearances and mentality and altered the ways they perceived themselves, creating a new sense of subjectivity and respectability. Consumption entails participation in monetary exchange and decision-making that empower women in the family and in the larger social structure as a whole. I propose that urban and educated modern women were further emboldened by the complex interaction the gaze produced in advertising posters and photographs. The discussion will explore visual evidence in the context of Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital, which will enhance insight on women’s cultural and social roles in the modern era.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Sandy Ng received her PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), specializing in modern Chinese art and culture. Her published works include several that examine the notion of hybrid modernism in Lin Fengmian’s figurative paintings (1900-1991). She is currently working on a book-length research project that explores design, gender, and modern living in twentieth century China. Her recent published works include a book chapter that explores how national and female identities are tied to the design of cheongsam in Hong Kong and a journal article that examines how Pan Yuliang (1895-1977) embraces modernity and fashions the ‘self’ in her paintings. Presently, she teaches subjects of art and design history as well as courses on design theories and philosophy. She is the Master of Design, Design Strategies Deputy Specialism Leader and a supervisor of PhD students in the postgraduate program. She was a visiting fellow at the Bard Graduate Centre in New York, United States during the 2018-19 academic year and is presently College Art Association’s caa.reviews Field Editor for Design History in the United States.

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