This work begins with a very specific sensation: the inexpressible yet persistent irritation of a clothing label rubbing against the skin. This piece expands on that feeling, exploring the persistent, low-grade annoyances that exist just beneath the surface of our daily lives. Using deconstructed and reassembled clothing labels, it translates the physical discomfort of a tag on skin into a potent metaphor for suppressed emotions and the unspoken anxieties tied to our identity. The chaotic tangles of thread and fragmented fabric visualise an inner state of agitation—a quiet but constant friction. It is a reflection on how we internalise these minor but relentless irritants, and the silent desire to tear away the external definitions that chafe against the self.
Chronic Irritation
08.10.25 — Spencer Yu
This work begins with a very specific sensation: the inexpressible yet persistent irritation of a clothing label rubbing against the skin. This piece expands on that feeling, exploring the persistent, low-grade annoyances that exist just beneath the surface of our daily lives. Using deconstructed and reassembled clothing labels, it translates the physical discomfort of a tag on skin into a potent metaphor for suppressed emotions and the unspoken anxieties tied to our identity. The chaotic tangles of thread and fragmented fabric visualise an inner state of agitation—a quiet but constant friction. It is a reflection on how we internalise these minor but relentless irritants, and the silent desire to tear away the external definitions that chafe against the self.