Tsai Shiou-ying

Hairy high-heels

Tsai Shiou-ying, Hairy High-Heels, 2011. Human hair. Life-size.

About Tsai Shiou-ying:

Shiou-ying is the owner of a small hair salon in Taichung, Taiwan. She is an award winning hairdresser and has recently decided to create pieces with discarded hair. She gained media attention by her series of original pieces from human hair. Some of her creations include a life-size pineapple, a rat, and brooches.

About the Piece:

Shiou-ying’s most prized creation is a pair of “hairy” high heels. A single pair takes an entire month to make and needs hair from at least three people. She usually uses friends or neighbors for her creations. She uses real hair instead of artificial hair because fake hair can’t take the heat and super glue she uses to make her artworks. When discussing her favorite work, she stated, “I personally love high heels very much, but I am flat-footed. I can only look at them and try them on, but if I buy them they will only be stored away until mold grows. I can’t wear them, so I want to make a pair of heels that I really like. This way, even if I can’t wear them, at least I created a work of art.”