Chastity Arch
Installation
Wood, Second-hand books
100cm*130cm*35cm
2022
The chastity archway, historically erected to honor widows who remained unmarried after the death of their husbands in ancient China, symbolized the subordination of women’s social value to the expectations of men. This structure confined women within a patriarchal value system that outwardly celebrated their virtue but ultimately constrained their autonomy. Although the physical era of chastity archways has long ended, the moral standards shaped by the male gaze continue to persist. Contemporary best-selling books on “how to marry a good husband” still reflect this restraint on women’s roles. In response, the artist collected 300 of these books, deconstructed them, and reassembled the fragments into a collage resembling a chastity arch, symbolically critiquing the enduring limitations placed on women.