《紡車》
2018
5 分36秒
雙頻道錄像
藝術家提供
《青木瓜女士》
2023
6分8秒
單頻道錄像
藝術家提供
六〇至七〇年代，台灣紡織業迅速發展，陳美玲這一代女性還未成年便進入勞動市場，被迫離農到紡織廠當女工，成為台灣加工出口大國經濟奇蹟下的犧牲品；當女性走入婚姻，則轉成為家中無報酬的免費勞動力。
作品《紡車》、《青木瓜女士》所描繪便是這代亞洲女性所擔當的典型工作——紡織廠女工與家庭主婦，作品中卡葳塔將自己的身體物化為紡車及搗碎器，不斷的重複著非人的扭曲運動，在糖果色鮮豔的視覺包裝下，這樣荒謬的畫面看似充滿歡樂與黑色幽默，隨著時間的推移，藝術家的身體不斷被消耗顯露出疲態，如同裂縫般的使觀者意識到眼前是活生生的人，而這幅殘忍的畫面正是女性在保守偏見社會下的現實——被壓迫與物化的沈默個體，揭露了女性無論在職場還是家庭中長期被迫從事低薪或無酬的體力勞動。
In the 1960s and 1970s, Taiwan’s textile industry rapidly expanded. Women of Michelle Chen’s generation entered the labor market before reaching adulthood, forced to leave farming behind and work in factories. They became the silent sacrifices of Taiwan’s economic miracle. Upon marriage, they transitioned into unpaid domestic labor within their households.
Kawita’s works, the Spinning Wheel and Lady Papaya, depict the typical roles of Asian women from this generation—textile factory workers and housewives. In these pieces, Kawita transforms her own body into a spinning wheel and a mortar, endlessly repeating unnatural, strenuous motions. Wrapped in a vibrant, candy-colored visual aesthetic, the absurdity of the scene initially appears playful and darkly humorous. Yet, as time passes, the artist’s body visibly deteriorates, revealing exhaustion—cracks that force the viewer to recognize her as a living, breathing human. This brutal imagery reflects the reality of women in conservative and patriarchal societies—silent individuals subjected to oppression and objectification, exposing the long-standing exploitation of women through low-paid or unpaid physical labor, both in the workforce and at home.
