eQuaLeSSence

Joomchi, vintage hanji (Korean handmade mulberry paper), vintage Korean ink, silk wrapped paper yarn, acrylic paint, thread
44 x 31 inches (framed)
2019

This art was created for the Hungry Ghosts exhibition curated by Cynthia Tom and Maggie Yee. Hungry Ghosts are metaphors for familial and personal patterns of belief systems that hold us back from self-actualization to our fullest potentials.

eQualeSSence is an expression of my belief that knowing that the essence of my being is equal to that of others allows me to feel connected and whole in mind, body and spirit (equal sign in an inkstick-painted Zen circle floating in the sky). My Hungry Ghost, distorted thoughts of inadequacy or superiority (inkstick marks of the mathematical signs-less than and greater than), try to hold me back (raw silk-wrapped paper yarn) from being who I am and my purpose.

The thoughts of inequality that tear my sense of connection and belonging stem from a cultural and ancestral belief system which valued people and expected behaviors based on a strict hierarchical system according to age, gender, social class, education level, economic status, and physical attributes. To disrupt and be released from my Hungry Ghosts, I must recognize that the essence of each of us is of equal infinite value which cannot be diminished or amplified by outside forces.