Humourous and Rebellious — Artist Satur Chong Explores Gender and Identity with Contemporary Jewellery
Malaysian artist Satur Chong graduated from the Royal College of Art with a degree in Jewellery Design. Unlike commercial jewellery design, Satur's creations are about class evaluation and the interaction of the body. Subversion and rebellion are the undertones of Satur's personality, but her works also involve a high level of public intervention that invites a wider audience to participate.
In the work Man Nequin (2023), the wide-brimmed hat that represents classical fashion tastes eerily flows downwards, becoming a mannequin for the necklace. Overshadowed by clothing and accessories - the face (also known as the recognisable identifier and identity-creator) is hidden; what matters is the connotation of flaunting that is pointed out by the high value of the jewellery displayed. The artist chose to dissolve the face, leaving only the giant display case as the triumph of vanity. This vanity, implied by commercial jewellery, is one of Satur's long standing concerns. She uses a satirical and humorous approach to allude to social values and the concept of jewellery culture.
Satur Chong, Man Nequin, 2023. Textile, pearl, 59x27x72cm
For Satur, the ring is the most “jewellery-like” piece, which means the jewellery that interacts most with the human body. Specifically, the ring is an object intimately connected to the body and can be directly associated with the body when one looks at it. In contrast, a brooch can exist in its own right as an attachment to the garment, having no physical interaction with the body. The hole in the centre of the ring is a constant reminder that a finger is going through it, and this emphasis provides the artist with a rich space for visual experimentation.
The interactivity offered by the rings is also a feature that Satur likes to play around with. In 100 Rings (2022), the artist wears a ring-shaped board eraser to erase ninety-nine ring designs drawn on a whiteboard, while in Inherited within Highest Level Inherited within Lowest Level (2022), a person trying to press a lift floor must pass through a ring-shaped hole. The different monetary power implied by the different floors of the building is reflected in the material of the ring. Those on the upper floors enjoy the more expensive metals, while those on the lower floors must pass through frames made up of cheap materials. In Satur's latest work, however, she declares the end of her exploration of rings with a piece called Anti Jewellery (2023) — a denial and reflection of the previous stage of her self-development.
Satur Chong, 100Rings, 2022. Wood, felt, ink, 6x6x3cm.
Left: Satur Chong, Inherited within Highest Level, 2022.
Brass, zircon. Right: Satur Chong, Inherited within Lowest Level, 2022. Disposed iron wire, broken glass, chewing gum.
Satur Chong, Anti Jewellery/戒, 2023. Silver, zircon, pearl, vintage jewellery case, 5.5x5.5x8cm
The strong focus on the ring also comes from Satur's reflection on the gender and marriage issues it is associated with. She often subverts and deconstructs gender roles. The title of the work Miss Chief (2023) challenges people’s usual perception to address others, which combines “Miss”, a term for a female, and “Chief”, a title that usually relates to male leaders. In the video, the artist herself plays both the roles of the male and female characters who bend down close to the pipe behind the high heels, constantly reversing and switching between the two opposing poles of the relationship, playing with the pleasure brought about by the tension of polarity, and pulling the self infinitely between the two ends of the gender spectrum. This work also explores the difference in rights in the relationship between foot fetishism and S&M.
Satur Chong, Miss Chief, 2023. Silver ring, cherry wood, plastic, secondhand high heel, paint, 31 x 18 x 15cm. For the entire video, visit here.
The focus on gender issues comes from the artist's own experience in Malaysia. Although she has not experienced the problems caused by sexism, she has witnessed the injustices and prejudices against women around her and hopes that through her work, she can further drive people to explore this pressing issue. Though strongly satirical, Satur's art is also characterised by a sense of helplessness in a patriarchal society and powerlessness beyond one's control.
Interventional, participatory and public, Satur's work is also a blurring of personal jewellery and public sculpture; Manhole Tea Set is both a stand-alone metal artefact and part of her performance. Sitting on a manhole cover on the street, Satur invites passers-by to join her for a cup of tea in a teapot with a sewer manhole cover motif and asks them if they have any complaints about the city. Victor Hugo once wrote that "the sewer is the conscience of the city, it hides all the secrets and the dark side of the city", and the sewage flowing in the sewer is loaded with the hidden secrets and the filth behind the politics. The dirty liquid pours out from the teapot and then enters the mouths and words of the people through the action of drinking tea and chatting. Sewage, which everyone dislikes, is brought to the forefront of the work, and complaints that would not usually be voiced in public are also poured out in conversations with the artist.
Still from Manhole Tea Chat, 2023.
Satur Chong, Manhole Tea Chat, 2023. Bronze, 60 x 60 x 20cm.
The dislocations and absurdities that often appear in Satur's art come from the things she sees every day and the impressions that have become so familiar that they are ingrained in her mind. She takes note of random inspirations that occur while walking along the road but also pays close attention to wearable objects, gazing at them and subverting them. She prefers to take inspiration from everyday life rather than doing deliberate research to formally curate ideas that are out of the realm of everyday visibility.
Satur relies on intuition to live and create, and her extensive reading of novels and stream-of-consciousness texts has fostered her intuitive mind. She lives and creates art with a sense of meaninglessness, and sometimes even she does not understand what the meaning of a work is. She loves the works she cannot understand but which she finishes first.
Satur Chong, I’m Perfect Brooch, 2022. Eraser, ink, acrylic, stainless steel pin, 6x6x2cm.
Many thanks to Satur Chong on behalf of MADE IN BED.
To learn more about Satur Chong, follow her on Instagram.
All images and videos are courtesy of the artist.
Runqiu Peng
Interviews Co-Editor, MADE IN BED