During Covid quarantine, Amy started cleaning and collecting poultry bones from her family's home cooked dinners and upcycling them into DIY bone accessories, objects, and performances. For 3 years and counting, she has amassed over 2,000 bones from meals and a kosher supplier with the immense help and support of her family, friends, and creative community in Los Angeles.
This project began as a practice to instill daily routine in a time of uncertainty and isolation. A purpose to wake up each day; to eat and clean.
In the process, she unexpectedly discovered a spiritual, therapeutic nature to these cleansing, crafting routines, which gave new life to once discard materials, while embodying mindful acts of consumption, maintenance, and sacrifice.
is an hour-long dissociative carbon-negative production following Amy Chiao’s journey in 21st century bone collecting practices that led to awakening the Bone Business Lady from her ancestral slumber.
photography by Michelle Dominique Allen
Each bone is saved, alive, and clean. Ready to perform again for your ocular consumption.
Come behold the ossified potential of waste management theater.
Created & Performed by Amy Chiao
Featuring: Eliot Burk, Avalon Greenberg Call, Young Tseng
Producer : Fanfan Zhou
Dramaturg: Lucas Brahme
Set Designer : Natalie Ferguson
Product Designers : Danny Baxter, Amy Chiao, Natalie Ferguson, Kate Renshaw-Lewis, Dallas Havoc, & Fanfan Zhou.
Bone Architect : Danny Baxter
Sound Designer & Bone instruments : Dylan Marx
Bone Poetry : C Bain
Videographer : Michelle Dominique Allen
Graphic Designer : Zhen Lu
Social Media Video Editor : Miranda Stein
Carpal Aide : Brian Chiao, Brin Constant Gordon, & Herry Kim
Heal Hear Here -a free healing event for all by LA FREEWAVES / GYOPO
photography by Safi Alia Shabaik
photography by John Birtle
Created & Performed by Amy Chiao
Featuring Lucas Brahme & Dallas Havoc
Bone Poetry by C Bain
photography by Lauren Alvarez
Bone Show Advisor & Installation Designer: Natalie Ferguson
Bone Product Designers: Danny Baxter, Amy Chiao, Natalie Ferguson, Kate Renshaw-Lewis, Dallas Havoc, Fanfan Zhou
Movement Choreographer & Video Installation Designer: Alexsa Durrans
Videographer & Editor: Miranda Stein
Animator: Danny Baxter
Live Streaming Videographer: Herry Kim
Sound Designer: Dylan Marx
photography by Michelle Dominique Allen
photography by Michelle Dominique Allen
photography by Lauren Alvarez