Graduate Exhibition

Inspired by the Chinese term 'Lao Jia' meaning 'hometown' or 'native place,' Shirley Xin explores her own authentic and dreamlike memories of her hometown - past experiences that might fade away without recollection and consolidation. Having been rearranged and re-assembled, the old buildings of her shattered memories are revived through new integrations. However, Shirley has no intention to let the past begin again, nor encourage obsession and sentimentality about the past. Instead, Shirley hopes to express the authentic feelings she experiences when reconsidering this bygone age and its relationship to her personal growth. ‘Lao Jia’ follows Shirley's reminiscence and commemoration of her past experiences: the beauty of a past hometown, and of a past self.