The Lucky Ones
A new series for 2024
The Lucky Ones represents the dynamics of Vietnamese Canadian families who experienced both extreme adversity and privilege as survivors of the 'boat people' refugee crisis.
I explore how this experience expresses itself between the first and second generations as a tension between the desire to be open and honest about the challenges and a cultural expectation to keep them secret.
The inspiration for this project came in 2021 at a family member's funeral service where I was surrounded by hundreds of familiar-looking strangers. This set off a level of guilt and shame so overwhelming that it led me to try to understand this emotional combo through art. As guilt and shame make up the core of my identity, I created these works to reach out to the many Canadians born to refugees who might feel the same way.
This project will debut at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria from February 2024 - May 2024.
I wish to thank The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation for its financial support
I acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
