TI-YUN YANG

“Shapes Never Chosen” explores the process through which people gradually lose the ability to recognize themselves under the gaze and labels of society.

We often understand others through our own experiences, emotions, and perspectives. Yet such understanding frequently comes from subjective projection rather than genuine understanding. As different labels, expectations, and perceptions accumulate, the sense of self gradually becomes blurred and distorted, making it increasingly difficult to recognize who we truly are.

“Shapes Never Chosen” refers to identities that are not entirely formed by oneself, but gradually shaped through the interpretations, expectations, and projections of others.
For the silhouettes, the white lotus serves as the primary inspiration for the outer forms. In traditional culture, the lotus is often regarded as a symbol of purity, nobility, and rising unstained from the mud. Yet in contemporary language, the “white lotus” has gradually developed into a metaphor for hypocrisy, affectation, and a discrepancy between appearance and reality. The same image can be assigned entirely different meanings across different eras and perspectives, reflecting the collection’s exploration of identity, perception, and social labeling.