Over recent times, there has been a rise in online shopping globally. As more people look for this instant gratification, the long-term consequences often get overlooked. As an avid shopper myself, I have been collecting parcel packaging over the past year to have it donated and reused. In the process, I was able to see the growth in parcels for just one person in one year, and began to think about the environmental impact we cannot see. In this pandemic, with nothing to do and nowhere to go, many people resort to online shopping as a way to unwind with a couple of clicks, a new package arrives. This work is a reaction to consumerist culture today. As the most regularly used parcel packaging, poly mailer bags were collected and manipulated into new material, transforming its property as a disposable object into a possession. Common sayings like ‘burning a hole in your wallet’ and ‘don’t itchy hand’ were adapted into the work visually in a literal sense. The tight fit and laced rope tugging on the user’s arms suggest a willful restriction - a desire to overcome impulsive indulgence in online consumerism.
As a hands-on artist, I currently take interest in found objects and its materiality. While trying to be resourceful, I find ways to repurpose or reconstruct those objects into something visually curious, that hopefully activates individual thoughts and reflections. With or without the aid of an initial idea, material exploration takes charge in the processing of my works. To change the nature or purpose of an object creates a sense of vulnerability, playfulness and unfamiliarity which is what I find interesting and for me, interest lies in the unknown.
Born in Singapore in 1999, Dian Wahyuni completed her diploma in Environment Design at Temasek Polytechnic and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts. She has showcased works in local exhibitions like Sustainable Idealism at the ArtScience Museum in 2016 and Parking Day 2017, as well as assisted with art production for the Malay Youth Literary Organisation (4PM) in 2019. Dian’s previous education in architecture propelled her into creating more sculptural works for her practice. She takes interest in material manipulation and found objects. Her works reflect a slight playfulness which can be seen through their materiality and form explorations.
