RACHEL HSU

All Hands
2023
126 x 40 x 64 in.
Papier-mâché, Xuan calligraphy paper, wire

All Hands examines language as a vessel through which we learn to navigate the world, and carry with us memories of distant homes and families. Carefully constructed from calligraphy practice paper, this sculpture considers the precariousness and preciousness of language, particularly in immigrant communities. The physical and emotional labor that communication demands of us requires we be beholden to each other, adrift together. For displaced bodies, memory becomes a stabilizing force not unlike the keel of a ship, enabling migrating wayfinders to find balance as they traverse uncertain and at times violent waters.