Taiwanese artist YaYa Chou moved to Los Angeles in 1997 to study experimental animation at the California Institute for the Arts. She’s since branched out to other mediums, working with watercolor, embroidery, and even candy. Her work has been featured in the Museum of Modern Art and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Fort Wayne Indiana. In her Gummi Bear series, which uses the classic Haribo candy as a medium, Chou explores the relationship between food consumption and class.
“The bright colors and soft texture of children’s snacks construct a romantic scenario which draws my attention to the dangerous ingredient behind them,” she explains. “By rearranging the embellished snacks in the forms of luxury commodity, I wish to pose the questions: Who consume these foods? Who has the choice to choose?” Click through to see more of her work.
Since they’re made out of candy, they do melt over time, as you can in the photos below. As Chou notes in her blog, “Chandelier turned soft in LA’s 90-degree summer and hardened again in winter.” She’s also wary of leaving her work outdoors, not only because of the heat but in fear of hungry dogs.
Deer Amber, 2006, 12″ X 9″ X 5″, gummi bears on wire armature (Retired)
Joy-Coated, 2007, 24″ X 16″ X 20″, gummi bears on toddler mannequin. Private Collection.
Chandelier, 2005, 45″ X 21″ X 21″, gummi bears, beads, monofilament, plastic, metal and light bulbs. Private Collection.
Ram Ruby, 2006, 7″ X 9″ X 5″, gummi bears on wire armature (Private Collection)