Austin Kim
detail of Wrapped in Nori
muslin, iron on transfer sheets, scraps of hanbok, silk, cotton, polyester, felt
48 x 72 inches
He/Him
Pomona 2023
Wrapped in Nori is a double-sided quilt with black muslin on one side, and a pojagi-styled quilt depicting an eclectic map of my parents’ immigration story. This piece consists of a false construction of geography and relies on the reconstruction of spatial landscapes through the process of forgetting, remembering, and imagining past memories. Letters and photographs are stitched across the map reminiscent of a non-linear progression of time on a two-dimensional surface.
In my experience, balance has never been about a perfect equilibrium or an idyllic harmony, but rather a renegotiation of space between two parties in hopes of conceiving reconciliation. The stories of my parents and those I now carry are ones that are continuously renegotiated between the liminal space of fear, hopes, and desires eclectically sewn together into a patchwork of memories.