Text of Diaspora
Text of Diaspora
Cardboard, wood, thread
2022
This work is based on an examination of the history of my family.
While picking up the delivery, I observed Chen’s variations — Tan (Singapore), which made me wonder about the story of my grandfather's brothers' surnames in Southeast Asia and the story of diaspora in Southeast Asia's geoculture through the lens of surname.
This work is formed of broken cardboard with an eye pattern which symbolize the red boat used by Southeast Asian immigrants. The embroidery on cardboard combines many surname Chen versions from all around Southeast Asia. As a result of ethnic naturalisation, dialect systems, and colonialism, many versions of the surname Chen, as well as distinct English variants and even new surnames, arose. This complicated context, like the back of needlework, depicts the history of diaspora and
succession.
While picking up the delivery, I observed Chen’s variations — Tan (Singapore), which made me wonder about the story of my grandfather's brothers' surnames in Southeast Asia and the story of diaspora in Southeast Asia's geoculture through the lens of surname.
This work is formed of broken cardboard with an eye pattern which symbolize the red boat used by Southeast Asian immigrants. The embroidery on cardboard combines many surname Chen versions from all around Southeast Asia. As a result of ethnic naturalisation, dialect systems, and colonialism, many versions of the surname Chen, as well as distinct English variants and even new surnames, arose. This complicated context, like the back of needlework, depicts the history of diaspora and
succession.
Different versions of chen(surname)
in Southeast Asia
Vietnam
Tran, Trần
United Kingdom
Tran
Singapore
Cheng, Chen, Ting, Chan, Tan, Chern, Chia, Ching, Chin, Dan, Ding, Jun, Seng, Shen, Sin, Tang, Teng, Then, Tjhin
Malaysia
Chin, Tang, Ding, Ting, Tin, Chan, Sin, Tan, Chen
Thailand
Sae-Chen, Sae-Tan, Sae-Chan, Sae-Chin, Sae-Tang, Tang, Taing, Tsan, Tchen, Sanh
Indonesia
Tanoto, Tanutama, Tandy, Tanusaputra, Tanadi, Tanizal, Tanto, Tjhin, Tansil, Tantomo, Tanusudibyo, Tan, Tantra, Tanudisastro, Tandiono, Tanamal, Tanasal, Tanu, Tanuwijaya, Tanzil, Intan, Tantama, Tandanu, Tandubuana, Tanardo, Hertanto, Hartanto, Hartono, Sutanto, Tanujaya, Santoso, Tandjung, Tanjung, Tanoesoedibjo, Tanubrata, Tanuseputro, Tanumihardja, Tanaya, Tanesha, Tanjaya, Tandika, Tanandar, Hartan
oe, Tania, Jonathan, Chandra, Tjandra, Tirtasana, Wirahadi, Tandoko, Tanojo, Tandjiria, Daritan, Winata, Iskandar, Susanto, Setiawan