Cooulture is a series of hand-sewn textile sculptures made from my own upcycled textiles. A play on the term haute couture, the title is inspired by the French designers’ attention to specific materials and impeccable craftsmanship. However, rather than designing for exclusive clients, I envision a more inclusive artform that could relate to everyone. Through development of this series, I thought about how graphic minimalism could be used to foster a more responsible relationship with clothing and textiles.

This project initially started because I wanted to get rid of things in my apartment. I tend to hold onto old sketches and paintings for extended periods of time. And so, I decided to look through my past work and separate what I could be kept or discarded. It was through this exercise that I uncovered a new approach to my practice.

CoolCool initially began as an excuse to show my work and have a party. However, through constant introspection and personal growth, it developed into an initiative to build something bigger than myself. In 2015, after making a couple series of painting, I decided that I wanted to share with others what I had been working on. So I rented a pop-up space for a single night, invited all my friend and put on my first solo art show in New York City.