Lin Tianmiao: Protruding Patterns

The work “Protruding Patterns” was shown at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2014); Long Museum, Shanghai (2016); and Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai (2016).
At Galerie Lelong, Lin Tianmiao (b. 1961) transforms the space with woven carpets inviting the viewers to walk on her intricate, labor-intensive work with textiles and thread. Over the past six years, Lin has collected around 2,000 words and expressions about women in various languages: some are predictably derogatory to women, others are representing the nuanced mix of confusion, humor, self-deprecation, and empowerment that accompanies the shifting consciousness of women. “Protruding Patterns” presents all these concepts and words in the form of a thickly raised wool thread and pattern making visible and tangible the various definitions of womanhood that transcend cultures and time; an immersive platform to explore how women feel within their evolving societal roles.