This installation is a new body work for Brooklyn-based artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, and part of Making Home, an exhibition on view at Asia Society Texas Center. This deeply personal meditation on the Asian American experience includes objects, textiles, poetry, media and a mural.
Somehow, in a strange land, where our family suffered indignities and injustices, we knit together a life full of vibrance, hope, and possibility. Now, caring for my mother and father in their old age, I see their sacrifice written on their worn shoulders and slim frames.
With tenderness and nostalgia, this body of work takes viewers through a sprawling landscape of emotion: grief punctuated with joy, pride turning into pain, guilt mixed with comfort. I have always hoped to honor their sacrifice by using my voice to share our stories and advocate for our community. This work is a love letter to Asian Americans and a reflection on the journeys of awakening we all walk as we revisit and find new meaning in long-held memories, quiet moments and family histories.