Beili Liu

Aliment
chinese spirit money
5 x 5 in.

In Chinese tradition, we burn spirit money for our ancestors and spirits in the after world as an offering. Aliment is made from approximately 6000 sheets of these Chinese spirit money, each folded in half, and tightly spiraled into a solid wheel. On one side, the rich and warm texture shimmers of silver and gold, on the other side, dense layers of paper edges are charred black. The partial burning transforms the piece into a symbolic gateway, one side facing the present, the other side bridging to the after world.

© Beili Liu