The series of "Grass" is a residency project undertaken by Miao Miao during her residency at Boxes Art Museum. She stitched a collection of Cantonese profanity (homophones) and the lines of varying lengths and colors made into irregular images which was thread onto papers, then exhibited the backs. These lines with different colors and lengths result from the logic action of the front side of the papers, that requires sewing out the readable text. And because the author sets up the sewing sequence differently, these short irregular lines are completely irregular in the image, showing an accidental and random form.
Audience in the exhibition hall will mostly regard them as abstract paintings, where they have distinctly decorative character, and will be identified and critic in this standard. Artist Miao Miao haven’t followed her usual painting grammar in this time, however, the long and short lines, the formal proportions and the color language that present in the images make it possible for the series of "Grass" to become paintings. Although such abstract pictorial languages are perfectly safe and slightly tired, they also help artist to conceal the issues she really wants to address and to get it past the censor.
The display of the papers on the wall with colored clothespins enhances the temporary sense of the work and maintains the characteristics of being dismantled and turned up at any time, leaving a gap for audience to watch. Artist expects that the audiences driven by curiosity, will discover the text on the other side of the work at any time unexpectedly. These profanities are not offensive, people seldom/always say it because of its violent properties. Saying profanity is often considered to be a common language behavior among men, and its appearance and use also have the clearest gender boundaries, widely existing in any culture and languages. Sewing, washing and drying clothes are often considered to be female tasks, the methods of weaving and sewing are also utilized by many female artists. These stereotypically gendered behaviors in life and creation, language and movement, are displayed in the form of paintings through the readable and unreadable features, which simultaneously exchanged rejection and attraction for us.
