Through a layered installation that engages with the notion of opacity vs visibility, my project explores the complex and often obscured boundaries between different social groups in my hometown, the city of Nanjing in China. By extracting and abstracting the city's architectural characteristics and urban stereotypes that carry primarily social, but also emotional connotations, the work transforms these familiar elements into visual metaphors that mediate different levels of visibility and inclusivity of various social groups in the city.

Each layer in the installation reflects a gradual transition from exclusion to inclusion. Therefore, each layer is defined by different line weights, density, colour transparencies, and edge qualities to visualise this transition. The exclusion layers are defined by rigid geometric forms, dense compositions, and low transparency, evoking feelings of control, invisibility and distance. Conversely, the softer, more transparent layers point to the greater sense of visibility and inclusivity. The shapes shift from angular to organic and curved, suggesting openness and empathy.