Textile Art

Self-Portrait

15 in x 21 in
Korean Fabrics

How can two creatures become one? Where can such a hybrid migrant find a nest? At times, I feel as if my two homes, ever-evolving nests on opposite sides of the world, make me into a two-becomes-one creature with no nest at all. Migration and transnationalism mark my life and identity, and so my bird finds its body becoming an avian migrant and yet combines the colors and shapes of Cardinal (카디널) and 까치 (Magpie), two species usually not considered among the far-flung migratory species. The 까치 hallows the hills of my native home in ROK while the Cardinal haunts the gardens of my other home in USA.

The media, method, and form of the work also creates a hybrid. The fine material and method of thread work draws from Korean markets and traditional craft called 보자기 (bojagi) and the form takes after Western traditions of stained glass.

In this portrait of myself, I continue seeking a nest or two, even as I discover my own flight.