Image Credit: Aimee Meng, Angel of No Mercy (2024)
Folds
Artist: Aimee Meng
Opening Night: Friday 19 June, 6 to 8pm
Exhibition Dates: 18 June - 5 July 2026
Folds presents a new body of work influenced by Gilles Deleuze’s theory of the fold and the Baroque, in dialogue with my ongoing investigation of kawaii culture.
Combining Canadian smocking with embroidery, crochet, sewing, drawing and printmaking, my interdisciplinary approach echoes the multiplicity of folds, relishing in the excess and drama of kawaii and baroque aesthetics. In the realm of the kawaii, cuteness prescribes a certain femininity which can be simultaneously suffocating and empowering. Folds embody this kind of ambivalence, where depth and surface, interior and exterior converge. The fold is dynamic and active, it represents the creative force of women who find ways to navigate the phallocentric social fabric. To fold is to come together––women gather in the in-between spaces to share knowledge and build kinship.
Throughout history and even in the contemporary art world, fibre arts and kawaii culture tend to be dismissed as insignificant and ornamental, lacking substance and intellect. If anime animates desire, then the fold sets erotic and platonic love in motion. Deliberately employing a labour-intensive practice, I engage the fold as a metaphor of agency which celebrates “women’s work” and the rich textures of life. Folds not only materialise in fabric and skin, but also manifest in time and the psyche. Hidden between the folds is the mystery of eros and artmaking itself. Between the unknown and unknowable, between past, present and future, this exhibition offers a glimpse into a volatile world suggestive of infinite becomings and possibilities––pockets of time-space to rest and play, pieces of cloth to envelop wounds.
Program
Origami Zine Workshop - 4 July, 10:30am to 3:30pm
The act of paper folding is in tune with Deleuze’s idea that the baroque is a world where “everything folds, unfolds, and refolds.” It is also an active process that gives the maker a sense of agency.
As part of her exhibition "Folds" at Chrissie Cotter Gallery, join artist Aimee Meng to learn the art of origami and turn them into mini zines. Drop in any time between 10:30am-3:30pm for a free, beginner-friendly workshop suitable for all ages. Participants can choose to fold zines that Aimee has already designed and printed or create their own from scratch. All materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own drawing materials. There will also be an interactive fabric manga in the exhibition.
