Rowena Liangru Lu

Rebel Barby consists of two lines: Rowena and Rebel Barby

It unveils that: “Seemingly inconspicuous objects shape our society unconsciously, especially when we give them to our next generation.”

Chapter 1: Rowena

The creation of Rowena line started from my intention of healing my body anxiety issues by re-creating the realistic image of my body into my favourite childhood toy.

I grew up playing Barbie dolls. In my mind, Barbie is the ideal beauty standard. I internalised at a young age, that as I didn't look skinny and pale, then I wasn't beautiful.

I wish I have grown up playing Rowena doll instead of Barbie doll. So I designed this collection for the little-girl-Rowena.

Chapter 2: Rebel Barby

Rebel Barby takes world famous Barbie doll as an inspiration, a medium and a subject of story telling, delivers a collection of “rebellious Barbies” in boxes. It uses the product itself as a language to create a conversation with the product, to reflect different aspects of the interaction between the product and our society.

Rebel Barby are pre-Barbie dolls. I wish my mom showed me this collection and told me these stories before buying me Barbie dolls to play with when I was a little girl. So I designed this collection for our future daughters.

Hello you,

I'm a Rowena.

I'm a human being still trying to understand myself.

I‘m an artist lurking in the design world.

I Make Art About Design By Product.

Rowena – I wish I have grown up playing Rowena doll instead of Barbie doll. So I designed this collection for the little-girl-Rowena.

Rowena - Rowena Barbie – This is a hand-made Rowena Barbie doll. Learning from the original Barbie doll joints, I created this moving model with the 3d scan of my body. It's a practice of hand-make mass-manufactured product.

Rowena - Barby in Rowena – This is a model created by casting a ready-made Barbie into the 3d scan of my body. It is a statement of Barbie's effect on me as a grown up woman.

Rowena - Barby in Rowena (movable) – As an extension of Barbie in Rowena, this model makes uses of the original joint of Barbie doll, made Barbie in Rowena movable.

Rowena - What is human – Inspired by one of the boxes in Rebel Barby. Human line is an extension of the Rowena line. While making myself, I asked myself :"What are you Rowena?" I answered: "You are a Human." I asked again :" What is human?" And in the boxes below are my answers:

Rowena - What is human – You came from mom's womb

Rowena - What is human – You are what you feel

Rowena - What is human – You are what you eat

Rowena - What is human – Your body is a network

Rowena - What is human – You'll die one day (but that's the beauty of life)

Medium:

Resin, Silicone, Barbie, Box

Size:

32 x 35 cm

Rebel Barby – Rebel Barby are pre-Barbie dolls.

Rebel Barby – I wish my mom showed me this collection and told me these stories before buying me Barbie dolls to play with when I was a little girl. So I designed this collection for our future daughters.

Rebel Barby - Element Barby – Barbie what are you?

Rebel Barby - Blanc Barby – Barbie now you can be anything!

Rebel Barby - Fetus Barby – Barbies how were you born?

Rebel Barby - Mom Barby – Barbies how were you born?

Rebel Barby - Mirror Head Barby – Do you see yourself in Barbie?

Rebel Barby - Ken – Hello dream boyfriend?

Rebel Barby - Clothes Rack Barby – Barbie what are you for?

Rebel Barby - Sexy Lilli – Barbie who were you?

Medium:

Barbie, box, mixed media, collected objects, 3d print

Size:

32 x 35 cm / 22 x 35 cm

beauty body design-research identity identity-and-body inclusive masculinities-and-desire mass-production playful post-humanism social-design the-body-and-the-object

Serious Play - When You Say You Are In Love With A Bird – A ceiling lamp. A practice of design by playing. Functional product inspired by children's play. A Physical Poem