Artist Statement - LISA TENG PHOTOGRAPHY

In textiles, a moiré is a fabric with a wavy (watered) appearance produced mainly from silk. Applying heat and pressure after the fabric is woven creates a unique watered impression. The historical reference to the word moiré is complicated. The allusion to the word “moirés” is one of the fabrics on which the Greek Moirai represent destiny. The feminine noun “moiré” comes etymologically from the Arabic noun mukhayyar, meaning “selected choice.”
In my work, I redefine the word moiré to imply these life events happened in our lives, which don’t usually come to us by choice but have shaped who we have become.
In reality, we don’t have control or answers for many things that happen to us. This is reminiscent of the Buddhist teaching, the impermanence, and the preciousness of life in its vulnerability to change.
The 10 participants I have worked closely with have shared their stories with me in this space. The space has been altered to accommodate and invite viewers to interact within the context of the work. Layering is an essential component of my work, which transcribes conceptually and aesthetically throughout the making and presentation of the work. Most participants with whom I work were strangers. The layers and layers of trust-building and friendship-building eventually allow their genuine representation. Images are layered with one another; music is layered with the story played from viewers’ phones. Silk is chosen for its frailty, strength, and softness against our skin when walking through the panels. It is also selected for its translucent quality, symbolizing what was hidden within. When viewers reach the blank panel in the center of the space, where the viewers can reflect upon their own “selected choice.”