The Privacy explores the intersection of control, chance, and obscured information through the use of a privacy protection stamp as its primary tool. Layered, textured patterns emerge, creating a visual language that weaves together multiple dimensions of time and space. This interplay reflects the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, where information is constantly encrypted, concealed, and at risk of exposure. In the digital age, cybersecurity plays a crucial role in protecting against unauthorized access, data theft, and hardware breaches. It ensures the reliability, integrity, and confidentiality of information systems but remains one of the most pressing challenges of contemporary society. The intricate layering in The Privacy reflects the tension between visibility and obscurity, echoing the complexities of digital security in a world where privacy is increasingly elusive. Through its abstract yet methodical approach, the work invites viewers to reflect on how information is protected, fragmented, and at times intentionally erased.

Q: Your Privacy series includes two works in gold and silver. Could you talk about their relationship to privacy protection?

Tan Mu: This series emerged from my concern with privacy protection and information security in the digital age. As personal data becomes increasingly exposed, the act of protecting information has taken on new urgency. These works use patterns generated by privacy protection tools as a visual language to represent the process of obscuring and safeguarding sensitive data. In the silver work, letters and symbols remain legible when viewed up close, while in the gold work, the information becomes more difficult to decipher. This contrast reflects the fragile and layered nature of information during transmission and protection.

From a material perspective, the works are built through a layered process. I begin with a base of gold or silver acrylic, then apply ink using a privacy stamp. This tool, commonly used to conceal names, addresses, and personal details, becomes both a functional and symbolic instrument in the work. By transferring this everyday security tool into painting, I wanted to elevate an invisible protective gesture into a visible visual structure.

Q: How did you translate a utilitarian privacy tool into an artistic method?

Tan Mu: I initially experimented with the privacy stamp on paper, rolling it across the surface to generate patterns designed to mask information. What interested me was the balance between randomness and order within these patterns. Although their original purpose is concealment, they produce a rhythmic and structured visual language. I then extended this process onto canvas, layering the stamped marks repeatedly over the metallic acrylic base.

From a distance, the surface reads as ornamental or abstract, but as viewers move closer, fragments of letters, numbers, and symbols emerge. This shift in perception mirrors how data operates in contemporary life. Information can appear invisible or secure until examined closely. The use of gold and silver reinforces this idea, as these materials are traditionally associated with value, protection, and preservation. Through this process, privacy itself becomes something precious, yet vulnerable.

Q: How does the Privacy series fit into your broader exploration of information systems?

Tan Mu: My work often investigates how information is transmitted, stored, interrupted, or protected. Pieces such as NO SIGNAL, Off, and LOADING… address moments of disconnection and uncertainty, while works like Share, Signal, and Memory focus on transmission and accumulation of information. Within this broader framework, the Privacy series and The Glitch concentrate specifically on data security and vulnerability.

The Glitch reflects moments when systems fail, leak, or break down, while Privacy emphasizes concealment, protection, and control. Together, these works form an ongoing examination of cybersecurity and the ethics of information technology. By transforming tools of privacy protection into painterly language, I aim to invite reflection on how personal data is valued, exposed, and defended in contemporary life, and how these invisible systems quietly shape our daily existence.