Among all the cleaning rituals in the bathroom, the use of soap is Aiyi Zhang’s favourite.  Being fully in control of this material, with your hands, eyes, and parts of the body, intentionally or subconsciously shaping it. We wear jewellery when dressed up outside but we only wear soap in the bathroom.  Adam and Eve became aware of being naked, and through the action of eating the apple saw the other differently. Similarly, soap is that sweet fruit. We are not allowed to bring it out from its original habitat.

The inspiration for the project comes from an iconic brand of soap Zhang uses every day, with a wonderfully fresh scent and distinctive translucent appearance, which should be brought outside from the enclosed bathroom. She sees the potential in every substance and thus believes soap can be made wearable too. Handcrafted through jewellery tools, the form of soap has been completely transformed into a chain that can be displayed or worn anywhere. The bond between the material and its original environment has been broken so that it can be worn on the body or worn away from the body.