ENG

2024
Hand-printed artist book using a handheld printer; ink on 104 types of paper, including 99 distinct handmade papers and 5 specialty papers
Front and end matter: 5 pages
Main body: 8 parts, 99 pages each (total 792 pages)
Unique piece

This Book of Identity is the second volume of the IDENTITÀ series, handcrafted by the artist using the traditional Chinese thread- bound technique.
The core content consists of 99 types of handmade paper, upon which the artist randomly selected from the Italian dictionary:

99 adjectives beginning with i
99 adjectives beginning with d
99 nouns beginning with e
25 verbs beginning with n
99 adjectives beginning with t
99 adjectives beginning with i
99 adjectives beginning with t
99 nouns beginning with à

In the Italian dictionary, there are only 25 verbs beginning with the letter N.
This objective limitation precisely resonates with the artist’s conceptual approach, echoing the inherent constraints of identity.
In Chinese culture, the number 9 symbolizes infinity and cycles. The repetition of “99” further amplifies this meaning of the infinite. Through this symbolic numerology, the artist reflects on the concept of identity (IDENTITÀ): identity is not fixed, but rather an endless cycle of becoming and negating, accepting, and overturning.
Through this work, the book ceases to be merely a collection of paper and words. Instead, it becomes a metaphor for cycles and discipline. Each act of turning a page represents a reconfiguration and rebirth of identity; each type of paper embodies the differences of individuals under social discipline. The tactile sensation when turning these diverse papers is the very trace of such differences. Identity is not immutable, but rather the gear of fate that entangles us within the machinery of society.