Suitcase Series

Artist Statement

When I moved to America in 1993 I crammed 18 years of my life into one suitcase. It weighed approximately 45 kg. It wasn’t until recently that I started thinking about the objects I chose to bring and their selection process. The objects were chosen for their magnetic ability of attracting and repelling memories. The status of these chosen objects increased substantially to the level of sacred relics for having being touched or given by a loved one, etc. These souvenirs contain within them the ability to vividly conjure memories of the past. Distilling ones life to fit the finite parameters of a suitcase meant editing – the inevitability of certain memories being discarded while others attain a new significance. It further implied simplification of ones past – untangling the chaotic web so that a clear succinct pattern emerged.

 In the Suitcases series I am interested in juxtaposing snippets of information that interact with each other to convey an open ended narration. The essence of the Suitcases series is the dialogue created by pairing of fragments. The items contained within the suitcases are sticky with associations and often pertain to travel. Each suitcase deals with a separate theme and corresponds to a specific hue. Color is the origin of each piece, giving each suitcase its individual personality and focus by dictating the objects it contains and their relationships. Even though the suitcases are self contained and conceived to function independently they all share many physical and conceptual characteristics.