Denim Jacket , 1988
57 x 52.5 cm (h x w)
Garment
[H2002.51.18 ]

This long-sleeved Denim jacket belonged to Linda Tzang, a first-generation Chinese Canadian who immigrated to Canada from Taiwan at five. Linda bleached the jacket to uneven blue with white patterns. She also hand-painted the design on the back. The poem is “The Rebel” by Baudelaire, and the image is from the English poet and painter William Blake. On the top, the painting portrays a man with long hair, arms outstretched on the back across shoulders. In the centre is a nude man falling backwards. The poem is written underneath the naked man. This hand-painted jacket shows Chinese Canadian women’s creativity with self-fashioning, where clothing is no longer used for practicality or making a statement. Instead, it becomes a unique platform to display one’s aesthetics, individuality, and free spirit.

Exhibited by:

Violet Wolfe

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