They may look nice and cosy, but CitySeen is betting you'll think twice about trying on these slippers when you realise they are made from human hair.
They are among 10,000 pairs of miniature children's shoes, ranging in size from 5cm to 10cm, created by artist Leung Mee-ping. Leung spent three years travelling the world collecting the hair used in her bizarre creations. The shoes form an installation on display at Western Market until the end of the month. It will be split and shared with the Tsuen Wan Town Hall exhibition gallery from February 11 to February 29.
'Fallen hairs denote an end, whereas forward-moving children's shoes denote a start,' Leung said in explanation.
The 41-year-old said it took about five minutes to make one shoe using spray glue. Some hair was collected from barber shops, some via the internet and friends and some is the artist's own. Leung said cleaning the hair was the real nightmare of the whole project. 'Washing hair without the head is very difficult'.
So whose hair would Leung most want to add to her collection? She puts George W. Bush and the recently shaved Saddam Hussein at the top of her list.
