Water Refuge plays with the primal kinship that links the maker in her temporary home (Denmark) with material economy, her subject (swimmers), and the ethereal ocean mother. For two years, the artist operated between her home studio and urban waterside, documenting the ritual of open sea swimmers.
On one hand, Weng transforms household waste and found objects by using traditional lacquer techniques such as egg shell inlay and fabric binding.
On the other hand, she follows and engages the mental world of swimmers through a collaborative storytelling.
The infusion of Danish and Chinese literary concepts in the book Water Refuge convey deeper humanistic values that binds land-bound human’s longing for Ocean Mother’s embrace.
Text / Photography by Wei Weng
First edition, June 2023 Book size: 180mm x 24mm 162 pages
