Draft:Labay Eyoung

Labay Eyong (Chinese: 林介文; pinyin: lín jiè wén, born in 1982), born in Taroko, Hongye tribe, Wanrong Township, Hualien. After Labay Eyong went abroad to study, she was given a name where each word was taken from the names of her grandmother and father. Following her studies, she graduated from Barcelona's Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2008. Since 2009, she has focused on art in eastern Taiwan, exploring themes related to women, ethnic groups, and society. Throughout her career, her work has spanned various mediums including soft sculpture, video, and metalworking. Notable projects of hers include Wrapped Mountain and Weaving Road. After becoming a mother in 2015, which significantly influenced her art, Labay Eyong co-founded "Mud Chair Studio" for curation and cultural records. She has been recognized with awards such as the 2016 Public Art Environment Integration Award and the 2014 and 2016 Pulima Art Award First Prize.

Life and education
Labay Eyong(Chinese: 林介文; pinyin: lín jiè), mixed Han Chinese and partial Japanese ancestry(Father: Taroko, Mother: Han Chinese ), refers to her indigenous lineage but is drawn to indigenous cultural traits. Furthermore, she rejects societal norms to preserve her creativity as an artist. Having faced verbal harassment in school, which fostered resentment towards males, her determination to defy traditional gender roles leads her to question whether her current activities align with traditional women's roles. Her journey as an artist mirrors her path to Taroko identity, intertwined with her identity as a woman.

In 2005, shortly after graduating from university, she went to Barcelona, Spain, to further her studies. By 2008, she graduated at the top of her class with a master degree from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB). Contrary to her undergraduate focus on technical skills, her time at ETSAB exposed her to interdisciplinary courses led by guest scholars and practitioners from seemingly unrelated fields. This experience broadened her perspective and nurtured diverse thinking skills, influencing her future endeavors.

Upon entering university, she selected traditional Taroko weaving, choosing the Department of Applied Arts at Fu Jen Catholic University. When it came time to choose a specialization in her second year, she opted for the metalworking group, eliminating options that involved working with computers, which she disliked. Immersing herself in the world of handcraft, she spent the next three years mastering metalworking techniques. As her senior project approached, she returned to her community, learning traditional weaving skills from elderly artisans. At the time, this was  a pursuit of traditional craftsmanship, which Labay then incorporated these techniques and tribal symbols into her metalwork.

In December 2011, she organized an exhibition titled Flipped in her hometown, coinciding with the launch of her new book Dowry. On the opening day, she invited women from households in the village to bring out their Qubang, or traditional Taroko weavings, which had been stored away for years. As visitors stepped into the exhibition space, they entered a realm filled with the vibrancy of Labay's life and artistic expression, intertwined with the history and daily life of the community. she was moved to tears, a reaction in any of her previous exhibitions.

In 2014, she decided to inherit the spirit of these feminine artifacts and began learning weaving, embracing the identity of a “Taroko” woman. Born in Hualien in 1982, and journeying to Spain in 2005

Artistic Career
Labay Eyong, a member of the Taroko tribe from Hualien, Taiwan, initially pursued her interest in art through jewelry making during her time at Fu Jen Catholic University. Subsequently, she gradually transitioned into metalworking and eventually pursued a master's degree in experimental spatial design at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. Despite initially aiming for metalworking courses, she found herself immersed in contemporary art, which became a moment in her artistic journey.

Her engagement with traditional Taroko weaving began during her time in Barcelona, where she learned crochet and knitting techniques during her leisure time. These experiences led her to reminisce about her grandmother's weaving practices. Upon returning to Taiwan, she encountered an elder from her tribe, which broadened her perspective on weaving.

Drawing from her traditional Taroko weaving heritage, she diversified her artistic endeavors, spanning metalworking, soft sculpture, spatial installations, video art, writing, public art, and curation. Her multidisciplinary approach garnered recognition in Taiwan, New Caledonia, China, Spain, earning accolades such as the Pulima Art Award in 2014 and 2016 and the Public Art Environment Integration Award

Becoming a mother in 2015 marked a transition in her artistic journey. Her works began to reflect her experiences and relationships, shifting from abstract concepts to more concrete expressions of maternity and familial bonds. Despite this evolution, she remained rooted in her indigenous heritage while exploring themes of femininity and the maternal figure.

She divides her time between Taiwan and Italy, where she collaborates with Italian director Tommaso Muzzi in establishing the Mud Chair Studio. Their work encompasses curation and cultural documentary projects. She continues to engage in residency programs worldwide, utilizing her sensitivity to local environments and historical contexts in her on-site creations.

Style
Her artistic journey serves as a reflection of Taiwan's recent exploration of indigenous consciousness, ethnic politics, displacement, and evolution. Moreover, as an artist, she navigated themes of female subjectivity, interracial relationships, and indigenous identity.

In 2008, she returned to Taiwan after obtaining a master's degree in spatial design from the University of Barcelona. Following this, initially focusing on metalworking, she developed indigenous-inspired jewelry under the theme of "BUBU's Wardrobe," which paid homage to her grandmother(BUBU means mother in Kari Truku, a language of Truku.) This venture reflected her artistic identity, rooted in familial connections.

Transitioning from academic influences to personal expression, her 2012 video work My Traditional Costumes Are Not Traditional illustrates this transition from academic influences to personal expression. By combining indigenous motifs with contemporary fashion, the piece symbolizes her struggle with identity and societal expectations.

“The symbol of the hand will become more and more complete. It will move from resistance to acceptance, from control to love. Without the questioning phase of My Traditional Costumes Are Not Traditional, I wonder how my work would have grown,” she said.

In 2014, she inherited 200 pieces of woven fabric from her grandmother's wardrobe, prompting her to learn traditional weaving techniques. This marked a pivotal moment as she delved into her Taroko heritage, creating large-scale textile sculptures. These weavings draw inspiration from her family's experiences during the United States Foreign Aid Era, highlighting the transformative power of material culture.

Her journey took a new direction in 2015 with the birth of her first child. Embracing motherhood, she found solace and inspiration, leading to a shift in her focus on themes of femininity, motherhood, and family dynamics. This period marked a profound shift in her artistic perspective, moving away from solely indigenous identity exploration towards broader reflections on womanhood and domestic life.

In recent years, her works have retained the essence of weaving while embracing stylistic innovation. Traditional techniques are deconstructed and reimagined to convey abstract concepts, bridging personal narratives with broader historical and cultural themes. Her art serves as a testament to the resilience and adaptability of indigenous traditions in the face of modernity.

Her upbringing in her native community, coupled with exposure to Western artistic techniques and concepts, imbues her work with a blend of tradition and modernity. She navigates between the two worlds, drawing from her cultural heritage while embracing contemporary artistic practices. Through her endeavors, she continually renews the connections between tradition and innovation, contributing to a tapestry of indigenous artistic expression in Taiwan.

Artworks
Golden Life, 2017

With an internal intent of love rather than coercion, this art work reveals Labay Eyong's profound joy for life in a nearly unfiltered manner. Her recent works leave an impression of grandeur and sculptural quality in the fabrics she weaves, embodying an exuberant love for life and the body that is hard to resist.

In Mshjil (the life nurturer), 2016

Labay confronts life with an absolute sense of femininity and maternal indulgence. A mature woman exudes confidence amidst modesty, expressing layered interpretations of life.

Yaku Ｋuyuh: I am the Woman, 2014

An award-winning installation combining soft sculpture and film, Labay portrays a dialogue between women as individuals across different temporal and spatial realms. This piece marks her formal initiation into the identity of a "woman" of the Truku tribe after learning weaving in 2014.

Golden Loom, 2018

Reflects Labay's long-term exploration of weaving using various materials, gradually forming a mature and distinctive visual language. Originating from her leisurely learning of basic crochet from friends in Barcelona, viewers perceive the process of a fetus gestating within a mother's body, shining with radiant golden circular forms.

Weaning, 2018

Influenced by Han culture, where the round table has become an indispensable daily item in Labay's tribal community. This piece conveys the psychological state arising from breastfeeding and the dependency relationship with her son, reflecting Labay's endeavor to balance her identity as an artist with the responsibilities of motherhood.

Exit, 2018

In Motherland (2018), Labay Eyong presents the "narrow passage between the legs" as the final piece, incorporating strong metaphorical and visual impact. Walking out from the narrow door symbolizes the birth of life, entering the imperfect real world immediately surrounded by reality. Simultaneously, intense sound effects from another exhibited piece immediately evoke an impulse to return among viewers. However, while appreciating the exhibition can turn back, life constantly moves forward. It's akin to life being a one-way journey for each individual, always encountering various challenges.

Weaving Road, 2019

Confronting historical wounds and cultural erosion, Labay Eyong finds healing and new thoughts in her creative process. Subsequently, in 2020 with the piece Weaving Field, she invited weavers to collaborate, integrating their creative thinking into the artwork. Through the experience of Weaving Field, Labay Eyong curated the Wrapped Mountain project, officially inviting weavers she deemed suitable to become artists, intervening in the fabric culture through art and showcasing the contemporary nature of traditional weaving.

Exhibitions
2017 Tropical Cyclone, Kuandu Art Museum, Taipei

Great House Contemporary Women’s Creation Exhibition, Tainan Cultural Center, Tainan

Landscape in Danger Group Exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung

Island Invisibility Group Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei

2016 The Possibility of an Island joint exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung