Cây đa | Banyan Tree
In this piece, I delved into the themes of memory erosion and preservation across generations as a member of the Vietnamese diaspora. The project reflects on the grief and separation from my grandparents, who were an essential part of my childhood. To illustrate this complex narrative, I used over 300 photographs from their personal archive, blending them with my recent images created through historical photographic methods. The result is a digital collage shaped like the sacred banyan tree near my grandfather’s village, a symbol deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture that represents protection, heritage, and the concept of home.
This 10-foot collage was featured at The School of the Photographic Arts Ottawa's No. 18 Exhibition, providing an immersive experience for viewers. Additionally, a miniature version of the piece was showcased at the Ottawa Miniature Gallery in September 2023, allowing the work to reach a broader audience and connect with the local art community in a more intimate setting.
Through creating and exhibiting this work, I had the profound opportunity to engage with fellow Vietnamese artists and members of other diasporas. These interactions sparked meaningful conversations about the shared longing to reconnect with family roots and the layered, often bittersweet emotions that come with living in a diaspora. Some of the local Vietnamese artists I was honored to connect with include King Kimbit and Martin Vuong, whose work and insights added new dimensions to my understanding of cultural memory and artistic expression within our community.
