Memories of the Motherland Closing Reception

Memories of the Motherland is rooted in the narratives of diasporic Koreans, exploring cultural self-conception through the recollection of historical archives. Inherited tales of Korean history and familial memory are reinterpreted in a series of textile portraits that imagine diasporic heritage as a collage of historical texts. Boundaries of public and personal memory, as well as the historical and the contemporary are blurred in these pieces, which reference and combine images in an anachronistic manner. Figures from family portraits, journalistic photographs, and traditional Korean folk art are reproduced using non-traditional materials and fiber-based techniques, placing the image and material in conflict. In representing scenes of the past, parts of the captured image become lost, reflecting the inevitable cultural distortion of displaced communities. Ultimately, this exhibition raises questions about how the culturally displaced construct “native” identities beyond the boundaries of their motherland.