Jasmine Chock creates humorous, uncanny intimacy through nonsensical juxtapositions of hand clappers and environments that represent her personal cultural heritage spanning three centuries in China, Hawai’i, and Texas.
Inspired from observing everyday routines and traditions, Chock connects with her heritage through traditions like lei making, routines such as saving plastic bags, and purchases of canned delicacies, such as spam.
Chock uses clay, found objects, textiles, and digital media to create humorous and unexpected pairings as a way to explore the sense of belonging and comfort humans innately search for.
Graduating from The University of Texas at Austin during a pandemic, Chock’s initial desire when utilizing the hand clapper was to activate a device that graduates like herself could use in a fun and contactless way to give applause and celebrate with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
In finding a way to activate these small hand clapping toys, Chock decided to layer them on top of each other and connect them by drilling small holes into each of the plastic hands, weaving a small string through the holes. In this form, the hand clappers reminded Chock of the beginning stages of a lei.
Chock’s father makes leis at her kitchen table in Plano, TX to celebrate special occasions such as family graduations and milestone achievements.
When my father was growing up in Hawai’i, he learned how to dance hula and make leis. Through this project I learned more about the origin of this Hawai’i tradition, how it came into my family’s knowledge and what it means to wear a lei. I wanted to share this knowledge alongside my project to show how meaningful it is to receive a lei, recognize these traditions from Ancient Hawai’i and the skills lei making takes and extend this gesture to my community.
Jasmine Chock
Jasmine Chock (b. Plano, TX) is an artist based in Austin, TX who works in a wide range of 3D materials, photography and video, including, but not limited to, sewing, ceramics, noodles, bathroom facilities and plastic bags. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art. She has shown work at the Visual Arts Center, Dell Medical School, and Collar Works. She is an artist educator and has facilitated art making workshops with a great variety of mediums in Austin, TX for students, seniors and adults of all abilities.
Photos Courtesy of Jasmine Chock.