Bound

Hong Chun Zhang, artist

born 1971

Bound, 2025

Where object was made: Lawrence, Kansas, United States

Material/technique: Chinese ink; fabric; steel chains

Credit line: Loan courtesy of the artist

Accession number: IA2025.001

On display: Perkins Central Court

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Images

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This double-sided painting considers the imagery and implications of fences to highlight the ongoing fight against women’s oppression.

Barbed
Inspired by the Kansas landscape and history of a barbed wire factory in Lawrence, Zhang fashions her trademark long hair into a barbed wire fence. This personal and powerful image represents the confinement of animals and humans and references the mistreatment of women across the globe.

Chained
Chained depicts an urban view covered with piles of industrial chains intertwined with human hair. The composition suggests a densely populated cityscape with little room for personal escape. The steel chains and hair symbolize the hard and soft power that women must negotiate every day.