Julie W. Chang, Cricketankursi, 2023, acrylic and resin on panel, 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 1 1/2 in
Amulets is Chang’s newest body of work. She reminded me that the word amulet comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny’s Natural History describes as “an object that protects a person from trouble.” Amulet is also thought to be related to amoliri, which means “to avert, to carry away, remove.” Amulets are objects that can heal, protect, save. Chang is interested in the idea that anything can function as an amulet – gems, statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and words. What matters is not the objects themselves, but how they are used and believed in.
