Olivia Shih is an artist, writer, and jewelry designer based in Oakland, California. She holds a BFA in Jewelry and Metal Arts from the California College of the Arts and a BA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Her artwork often investigates gender issues through wearable sculptures and use of alternative materials. Olivia is also a freelance writer for Art Jewelry Forum.
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In Olivia Shih's studio work, she examines the damage of gender inequality, repeatedly imprinted on the subconscious of both women and men. In her "Feminism Is Dead!" collection, Olivia uses restrictive metal armatures and sterile bathroom tiling as points of conceptual departure to examine the internalized habits of women. "Feminism Is Dead!" is also an installation that juxtaposes the conceptual art exhibition with its commercial counterpart, the gift shop. The gift shop, stocked with miniature and easily consumed versions of feminist art, attempts to decommodify the commodification of art by injecting subversion into the daily lives of consumers.
In recent projects, Olivia has been exploring the intimacy we share with the plastic in our lives.
