My 12 Days of Christmas
“We always worked for those behind us, those who brought us into the world and pointed out the gate to the Empire beyond the barbed wire. Our father sacrificed for us as his father had sacrificed for him, each one of us racking up a debt so large we’d never dare to contemplate pursuing our own dreams. No, there are no independent visionaries in a line of sacrifices.” -Andrew X. Pham.
In this piece I explore how traditional Asian culture has become broken in its attempt to integrate with Americanism. This calendar refers to the cycle of confrontation in my family that occurs when expectations or traditions are not upheld. I used red envelopes because these have always been a reminder to me of how dysfunctional my family is. During holidays (especially Christmas) it became almost a tradition to make it a time for family crisis and confrontation instead of a time for putting differences aside. Due to the fact that my family was famous for ruining holidays, we were considered the “black sheep of the herd.” My red envelopes always had less money in them than my other cousins and family members. As much as I try to break dysfunctional family patterns, I constantly find myself yearning for approval and/or acknowledgement.
Try to make it out to the Thoreau Center Gallery in the Presidio! The artwork is up until June 9th!
Photo Credits to:
Diano Mulumbayan
