Like any great story, the struggles coming from the year of 2020, and unfortunately beyond, are both historically unique and entirely quotidian. The irony of this moment is that although heightened by a pandemic, the crises that have emerged all at once, are only exaggerated versions of everyday realities. Thus, as I work through the thoughts and contradictions I currently face, both while stuck in the stagnancy of home and the chaotic global world, this time capsule of sorts will continue to grow.
Coming back home has made me question this idea of support and individualism. In my blended view shaped by Western and Eastern cultures, I hold conflicting views on the relationship between the self and community. I was taught to love and prioritize those who raised me, but I was also taught that at a certain age you have to escape and go on your own. But, now when growth feels stagnant at home, we see the home as against the dreams of potential. Then again, How does this belief line hold up to the mindsets of a pandemic, where there is a deep focus on the effects of a single person's actions on the health of their community?
Inspired the the Terra Cotta Warriors, an army of ancient statues created to guard a single emperor in the afterlife, Excavated explores the duality of our views on stability and protection. We are both built and limited by our support, an irony that feels extra meaningful during these past few months as we dream our potential lives contrasted with the drama of being at home facing existential struggles.
Inspired the the Terra Cotta Warriors, an army of ancient statues created to guard a single emperor in the afterlife, Excavated explores the duality of our views on stability and protection. We are both built and limited by our support, an irony that feels extra meaningful during these past few months as we dream our potential lives contrasted with the drama of being at home facing existential struggles.
Quarantine in 2020 has created a microcosm in which the world feels as though there is excessive chaos and change yet, in contrast our daily lives feel uniquely at a pause. While feelings of hopelessness loom over, this time of reflection also provides clarity to imagine who we want to be and how to get there. Thus, simultaneously, feelings of immobilization and helplessness are contrasted by moments of self-confidence and empowerment.
As The Dust Settles, riffs off of the old adage “after the dust settles”, questioning if clarity comes after a moment, a movement has passed, or is there something special about being in the eye of the storm. Taking inspiration from the material qualities of lint, fragile dust particles that have for a moment stopped and clustered, capture the still yet erratic energy of this moment in history.
As The Dust Settles, riffs off of the old adage “after the dust settles”, questioning if clarity comes after a moment, a movement has passed, or is there something special about being in the eye of the storm. Taking inspiration from the material qualities of lint, fragile dust particles that have for a moment stopped and clustered, capture the still yet erratic energy of this moment in history.