MLitt Fine Art Practice School of Fine Art

HAO AI

I will continue to explore the topics related to plastic surgery and aesthetics. I believe that the topic I am concerned about is deeply influenced by the rapidly developing social and cultural phenomena of our era. Especially, I am attracted by the widespread pursuit of plastic surgery among young women in countries like China and South Korea – it is an unfeeling and profound aesthetic drive to change the body. These people have conducted extreme examinations on their appearance, striving to achieve idealized perfection in every detail. This cultural phenomenon not only aroused my critical interest, but also promoted my artistic exploration of the psychological and ideological dimensions of beauty.

Contact
1092689352@QQ.COM
H.Ai1@student.gsa.ac.uk
@AIHAO_ERIN
Works
TWINS OF NATURE
THE TRANQUILITY AFTER MUTATION

TWINS OF NATURE

My work attempts to decode the intricate relationship between cosmetic modification, image construction, and external control mechanisms. I explore how identity, regulation, and societal expectations converge and conflict upon the mutable terrain of the human face and body. Are individuals exercising autonomy in their pursuit of physical perfection, or are they subtly coerced by invisible cultural forces? This question grows increasingly ambiguous as aesthetic ideals permeate and reshape self-awareness on both conscious and subconscious levels. Thus, the face and body are no longer neutral vessels of identity but curated, performed, and engineered entities. Within this framework, my art seeks to expose the tensions and contradictions embedded in contemporary beauty paradigms, while interrogating the unseen forces that govern individual bodily experience.

TWINS OF NATURE

This artwork explores the themes of mutation and death, delving into the deeper philosophical implications behind cosmetic surgery and the transformation of life. In the painting, a fish undergoes mutation and eventually dies. Although it regains its vibrant colors, the presence of double pupils symbolizes its past alterations and inherent imperfections. After its death, the fish is trapped inside a clam shell, evoking a sense of loneliness and helplessness. Over time, however, the remains of the fish gradually transform into a pearl, symbolizing the cycle of death and rebirth. This process also serves as a metaphor for the potential renewal or sublimation that can arise from pain, change, or even death.

THE TRANQUILITY AFTER MUTATION

The recurring theme in my works is a pair of twin goldfish, which is an unsettling mixture that embodies innocence and affecence, tradition and fragmentation. These fish represent some people who have undergone plastic surgery. They have been injected with certain substances to mutate them, making themselves more outstanding and special. And will this brief mutation really achieve their inner goals, or is it an ignorant act made under the control of capital or some kind of control? In Chinese culture, goldfish symbolize prosperity, harmony and good fortune. However, when I implanted a second black pupil in them, their symbolic function collapsed, replaced by a silent threat or discomfort. Their gazes turned into reflection rather than decoration. These creatures float, swirl, like ghosts on my canvas, blind and vivid….

The tranquility after mutation

This work depicts a group of mutated fish that are no longer confined to the water cup but float freely and vividly in the external space. The color of the fish has become particularly dazzling after mutation. The bright red, gold and green complement each other, as if shining with the light of life against a black background. The crystal clarity of the water cup contrasts sharply with the bright colors of the fish, symbolizing the tension between the finite and the infinite, restraint and freedom.