Art Metropole

#15632

Star Bag #19

Artist

Yan Wen Chang

Date

2023

Publisher

Self-Published

Format

Multiples

Genre

Bag, Wearable, Unique Edition

Yan Wen Chang’s Star Bags are a collaborative project between her, her mother and two aunts. Chang has been making different iterations of the bags since 2020.

Chang immigrated to Toronto, alone, at the age of 17, to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. Her mother and two aunts, who all currently still reside in Malaysia, hand-pick fresh orchid flowers from their garden. They press and dry each flower in between books for months at a time, and once they are fully dried they send the pressed orchids to Chang in Canada where she puts together the bags.

The 2023 series of Star Bags are made with bleached denim. Chang’s signature five-pointed star is on both the front and the back of the bag with each star containing more than 15 orchids collaged and epoxied together. The bag strap is hand-knotted with traditional Malaysian batik fabric that Chang’s mother sends to her in Canada.

All profits of the bags go towards Chang’s mother and two aunts.