Tea Alchemy - Wenda Gu
Artist Statement
Virtual Tour
In this installation, Gu encases the space with black lacquered, fine bamboo screens used to make paper. The screens are embroidered with subtly visible Chinese characters for tea that create the watermarks on the paper. Classical accordion books made with tea leaves cover the floor except for a central space where green tea powder falls from the mechanical sifter on the ceiling.

Tea in this installation goes through different stages of transformation: from powder falling from above to a mound forming on the floor, from the embroidered characters to the grain of the paper, and from a visible green substance to invisible fragrance. In each state of being, the identity of tea is traceable, and the most arresting of all is its scent that engulfs the viewer, overriding the visual experience.

















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