Skyson Ching
The King's School
THREADED THROUGH HISTORY
Collection of Work
Thread, wood board, nails, books, paper
My body of work, Threaded through history, investigates how the glorified triumphs of historical figures are manifested in the idea that ambition is the essence of our lives. My work challenges the contemporary stigma placed on individual lives of compliance moving towards mediocre social paradigms. Through my mediums of string and thread, my intention is to champion the fundamental notion that knowledge is the thing that intrinsically connects all humanity.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Nemo Jantzen.
Marker's Commentary
Threaded Through History is a highly resolved collection of works that intricately examines the connection between knowledge, leadership and the passage of time. The series consists of four string and nail artworks that meticulously map the faces of historical figures, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar, alongside an unidentified young man. Through delicate thread work, these portraits intertwine past and present, suggesting a continuum of wisdom and influence.
This motif extends into a series of sophisticated prints where the same thread spills out of open books, visually representing both the vast knowledge held by these leaders and the introspective journey of the young man. Text interwoven within the works highlights key quotes from each figure, reinforcing their enduring intellectual legacy. The two sculptures are refined and reiterate this exploration, illustrating the weight and depth of knowledge these individuals carried. Spools of text are placed on top of a pile of books as a symbolic representation of history’s continuous thread, one that weaves through time, binding the past to the present.