Map a mother’s body
2024
Parchment paper, thread, oil on the paper
I used the parchment paper to create this series of works titled The Due of Breastfeeding, Mother Needs Breathing, Glue the Broken Time, Baby, I Love You the Best, Special Heart, and Luckily, You Will Have Two Chances.Each piece tells an individual story, but together, they form a map of a mother’s body. I have been working on this series in Chicago since 2022 when I was a new mother. I’ve been collecting used parchment paper from baking and preparing food for my family daily. Its transparency and the unique traces left by baking attract me.
Parchment paper, typically thrown away after use, can feel “worthless,” mirroring the time and effort people spend cooking. I use parchment paper to explore what things should be seen as valuable. This series makes visible people who make domestic efforts that are often overlooked or undervalued.
Sewing is the primary way to hold parchment paper. It is also an act of meditation and reparation, a response to moments of lost confidence, self-worth, and identity while immersed in housework. This series is a continuous project connecting the intriguing moments of everyday life.