This is an excerpt of an experimental video piece showcasing work I’ve done to make a series of masks as well as a set of wings. The wings are made with fish skins I have collected and tanned from two sides of the Pacific. The excerpt comes from a longer work in progress that contains a detailed narration about my mother, grandmother, and my own dreams. It also talks about change, heartbreak, migration, family relationships, and imprints of trauma. This excerpt was made in 48 hours with the help of RCHRDY and Rea Saxena.
These past few years, I’ve reconnected with my family and our migration history in a deeper way. This process has brought me closer to stories, lands, and peoples that weave a textured and dynamic tapestry of life beyond one single individual’s life or perspective. By looking at personal stories and experiences, the importance of oral history is relived. I chose to look at dreams because they are intimately tied to one’s personal life which extends to the lives and relationships of those all around us. Dreams move us, in time, towards that which we desire. The alchemical process of understanding which dreams have been inherited, and which ones to consciously choose to carry, let go of, or create anew, speaks to a decolonial practice.
