Paige Wallwork / Master of Art
Uyghur Grapevine Screen
2014
Acrylics, spray paint, beads, epoxy resin
154cm x 154cm
Xinjiang in north western China is an area bordering on the former Soviet states of Central Asia but also Afghanistan, Mongolia and Russia.
Post colonial discourse regarding issues of power and control by the dominant Han Chinese culture over the Turkic Uyghur minority of Xinjiang, are examined in this body of work.
Screens were used to reflect the similarity between the two cultures. However, they can also conceal and expose; be two sided and are at risk of collapse. The ceramic pieces focus on local topographies, changing borders and historical maps of the Xinjiang or “East Turkistan” region.