Carry that weight

Mixed fabric, drying rack, suitcase

The creation of this work stems from a poem by Yao Feng (姚风) that I discovered from the Poetry Translation Centre. Drawing me in with its brevity and clarity, I knew immediately that these were words and lines that I wanted to hold close.

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Fabric and textiles are an inexplicable part of our human lives. We are brought into the world swaddled and cradled with soft coverings, we use clothes to express and protect ourselves, we end our days in the safety of our bedding. The fact that we spend so much time underneath these layers, makes the vulnerability of our soft, fleshy bodies all the more stark. 

Blankets in particular are a shelter, a place to retreat into. Where you can let the mind rest from the physicality of existence, the use of the body as part of society. It's also a way of coping at the end of the day, letting yourself to return to the state of just being, shedding the weight of the world and regaining connection to that childlike headspace. To know that all of this change can occur with just the simple act of covering oneself with a blanket, is such a natural and innate response that we don't even notice it. 

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For my solo exhibition Take-away, the artwork has since evolved to incorporate my mother's suitcase - the only item of luggage she had when leaving China for the very first time. Travelling to a foreign land, not knowing the language, the culture or its people, is a daunting prospect, but she always remained optimistic. She believed that even if things did not work out, if she could return to China with even two suitcases, then she would have been a success. 

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The trajectories of our stories and histories, although unique and individual, trace shared experiences and emotions. We will all wander someday, and we will have to decide what it is we will carry with us.