A Residency project
in Suzhou, China
Posing & Voguing

Posing & Voguing, Single HQ channel video. 2025

Suzhou gardens are a key site of Jiangnan cultural tradition. Historically, orchids were seen as symbols of gentlemanly virtue, closely tied to male-centered discourse and strict moral codes. During my residency in Suzhou, I wanted to explore whether this lineage could be reinterpreted through a queer lens. I presented one work in Zizhi Garden (紫芝园), accompanied by supporting historical references. The piece responds to a Qing dynasty courtesan, Ma Xianglan  (马湘兰), who was historically connected to the local context and to orchids. I wore an orchid-inspired costume and mimicked her historical portrait, using video to turn stillness into movement. I combined this with voguing, a queer movement practice, to create a dialogue between historical posture and contemporary queer expression.

In the exhibition, the video works and historical portraits were displayed on opposite walls, forming a conversation across time. On one side is a woman confined by tradition in history; on the other, a queer body navigating the constraints of contemporary Chinese cultural norms. Both are connected to orchids, both love orchids, and both open up new ways of speaking within male-dominated discourses.