Memory House (2021)

Cardboard, wire, collages of the artist’s homes and journal pages printed on Japanese mulberry paper, 12 in. x 8 in. x 14 inch.

Growing up, I moved frequently, sometimes packing things into torn duffel bags twice in a year. I remember living out of suitcases–whether it was because unpacking seemed fruitless in a place I would leave when the school year was through, or because I was staying with family for the summer. With external elements often shifting, I sought a sense of stability internally–many times finding comfort in an ephemeral dream of the future or in the memory. This piece, titled “Memory House,” is a nostalgia-tinged memorialization. The past is stitched together by many stories, and my relationships with others are a seemingly inseparable part of my selfhood. To give nod to the the self being built on relationships, I asked a number of people I am close with if they would share a memory with me. What was shared surprised me. Largely what others highlighted were not the memories which first come to mind for me. From these voicemails and voice messages I created an audio collage with the memories feeding into each other over a track by my friend Joseph Hoang. I then created a video to showcase the physical work and audio component. The work is nostalgic and highly personal. It is a memorial, a glimpse into the poetry of remembering, a signal to what has changed and still lives on. The experience of making “Memory House” was a way of pinning time to a page. And noting the fault of memory, while building upon its surface.