Mejia Group Exhibition Award for excellence in drawing-based practices:
ON MY WAY HOME
Is our home irreplaceable?
Could our ‘home’ be a specific color, language, people, scent, or a sense of nostalgia rooted in childhood memories?
This project undertakes an exploration of the intricate concept of ‘home’. It aims to investigate what ‘home’ truly represents, and extend the discussion further to its form and mobility – how our society, geography, politics and culture shape our identity and assumption of ‘home’. Most importantly, how the presence of our loved ones play such a significant in our ‘home’.
The project’s origin can be traced back to the post-social protests in Hong Kong, where the shifting political environment led to a collective yearning for stability and a sense of protection in one’s living space. This desire for an uninterrupted ‘home-space’ led to a migration wave. Regrettably, the migration left me struggling with the ephemerality of ‘home’. The act of establishing a permanent space to live with family is no longer a natural instinct. Simultaneously, I lost the sense of belonging while settling between two lands.
This paradox of seeking for a new ‘home’ while constantly yearning for the past raises a fundamental question: What truly constitutes ‘home’ on my personal level? Moreover, why does ‘home’ hold such profound significance for every individual?
The quest for ‘home’ is an ongoing, lifelong journey. While it is inevitable that we cannot halt the passage of time or the individual growth that often leads us away from our families, it remains essential to document the ever-changing emotions. Every memory encountered during this journey holds significance as fragments that contribute to the finding of my ‘home’.
Through the collection of scrap wood and found objects combining with my drawings, the work documents my journey towards gradually building up a fragile but resilient shelter.
It reminds me that I will eventually find my ‘home’.
Kelly is a Hong Kong born and Naarm /Melbourne based artist specializing in installation, sculpture, and drawing. Her work delves into themes including psychoanalysis and human bonding, often drawing from personal living experiences in Hong Kong and Melbourne. With a unique perspective shaped by her cross-cultural background, she aspires to connect people from diverse backgrounds in art language and post-art dialogues.
Through her art, Kelly seeks to uncover not only her personal traumas but also universal experiences, transforming her artwork as a safe space for all people to encourage emotional expression, resonance and contemplation within the shared experiences. She is determined to promote the recognition of challenges that are faced by the immigrants, especially youngsters, through the sharing of understanding and the promptness of care and conversations in society. Her works have been recently showcased at RMIT Design Hub, Hong Kong Arts Centre and Brunswick Street Gallery.
instagram: @Blueclvb