Daniel Yu, aka Dory, is back again with this piece which is a contribution for the SMU Arts Festival 2010 entitled “Content: navigating a point”. Each head was sculpted and painted, and the final piece was exhibited as digital prints of each individual head. Do check out Dory’s blog to view more of his work.

This body of work addresses the concept of identity, and questions the commonly held assumptions about stereotypes and self-awareness. The medium and imagery of gas masks draw on the symbolism and aesthetics of youth culture, and also deal with sameness and difference between selves. The traditional headdresses contain faint intimations concerning cultural personality. This resonance of cultural identity, being based upon difference, presents itself as a divisive force in society. The concluding image suggests that cosmopolitanism provides individuals with a greater sense of shared citizenship, presenting the ideology of belonging to a single community. Ergo, to not always be divisive. As individuals, we share an inherent part of “make up” that provides a common ground and alternate means of identifying with each other.