TchotchkesTrinkets & Tales
Material Culture & Identity
Where It All Began
This project was initially inspired by a singular object hanging above the desk in my Oberlin apartment- a tiger-shaped Lunar New Year amulet gifted to me by my 妈妈 (mother) in Manhattan's Chinatown. From there, a curiosity regarding others' stories and relationships with sentimental objects burst forth.
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Stories From The Field
Over the course of two months, I had the privilege of listening in on the stories of fellow Oberlin AAPI community members. From a quick-witted chat on one interviewee's tendency to misplace items, to a deep-dive into the concept of "space and place", the AAPI community's diverse voices and experiences truly came to light.
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To the bottom left, project participants Leo Hidy and Anokha Venugopal.
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A Major Thank You
I would like to give a major thank you to the Oberlin Shansi Team for their guidance and support in making this entire project possible through the Shansi AAPI Experience Grant.
For more information on the organization's mission, visit Oberlin Shansi.
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Shansi House on a snowy January afternoon.
Follow Oberlin Shansi on Instagram:
@oberlinshansi