Jiayi Meng

For the project, I chose Australian performance artist Leigh Bowery as my muse. He was my initiation teacher about art. He as my muse seems to have always influenced my creation. He has a special connection to London, which he has been based in London all year round since he was 18. When I first met him online, I was fascinated by his gorgeous and quirky makeup styling and performance style. He often makes creations that shocked audiences. I am really passionate about the unexpected. He brought out the other side of my character such as rebellious and fearless.

My focus on him became more nuanced after I chose to study Textile. I was often attracted to his makeup and costume. When I zoomed in on his photographs, I found that his brightly colored costumes have a lot of three-dimensional fabric elements such as sequins, satin, feathers and even 3D structures.

I am not only interested in his costume and makeup. The more influence he had on me was a novel thought. He developed a fashion aesthetic that few dared to follow. Exaggerated makeup and grotesque costumes are just his manifestations. More importantly, he pursues boundless imagination and experimentation and freshness. And it is also the direction I have been exploring and looking for. Because in my creative process, I habitually add some experimental attempts. Therefore, I am glad to continue to explore and get to know him through this project.