Only The Feet
This project started when I was five or six. I still remember my parents bringing me to boring dinners with wonderful people. The way that I enjoyed these parties was to grab a pack of napkins and a glass of water, sneak down under the tables and start to clean shoes for those who were eating. As I got older, about the age of 17, the shoe cleaning didn’t stop. I cleaned my Dad’s shoes as it was an embodiment of our bonding. Through this service, I give back to my Dad a respectful thanks for the nurture and shepherding. Nevertheless, In this project, I am expanding who receives the service of shoe cleaning beyond my own biological father, to my father figures who are my tutors in school or senior leaders in the church. Later the user group expanded further, and I started cleaning shoes for strangers. Apart from serving fathers, I have also made a set of furniture of stools to stand on, stools to sit on, and stools to lay down. Those artefacts satisfy the need for shoe cleaning and highlight the power dynamic through body postures.