Becoming One

‘Becoming One’ explores the cycle of self-betrayal and reconciliation that exists within our human nature. It examines our past and present environments to gather an understanding of the influences that contribute to our process of self-healing and acceptance.

In this series of work, the I reflected on the alienation I felt as an ethnic minority during my youth growing up in the United States. Captured through the eeriness of graphite, I depict the anxiety, isolation, and resentment felt from my natural difference, a betrayal that I felt to my sense of belonging. After many years living abroad in Asia, as a part of the ethnic majority, my environment has left space for my harbored feelings to dissipate while giving room for reflection, acknowledgement, and acceptance. Alongside the drawn pieces, this series explores handmade ceramic techniques, where I construct representative forms of the present and past self. The sculptures portray the ongoing process of reconciliation and ‘becoming one’, an act of healing for the inner-child.