Womb / Cocoon

2024

Natural unbleached cotton textile, cotton embroidery thread, linen

Video projection done in Processing

Like most mother-daughter relationships, it is hard to capture how I feel about ours fully—the nuances woven in threads of love, tension, and understanding. Womb / Cocoon delves into the intricate tapestry of my connection with my mother and the cultural heritage she has passed down to me. I am her spitting image, a mirrored reflection, yet my beliefs often diverge from hers. Among my two brothers, as the only daughter, I was the rebel, difficult to control and constantly rejecting my mother’s ideals and expectations for me, but over time, we slowly and painfully learned the art of softness and acceptance.

My mother is a gifted lei artisan. While creating Womb / Cocoon, I embodied her lei-making techniques, sculpting flowers from textiles rather than the traditional ribbon. I wanted to honor her by crafting the shell of an empty cocoon, a symbol of the warmth and safety she provided while growing up. Flowers and thread burst from the cocoon, representing the evolution of the young caterpillar into something new. The mirrored image serves as a poignant reminder of our modern world, where video calls bridge the distance and remind us that, no matter the miles, home is never too far away.