Pei-Jung Tsai

2.53 Homing Fragments: Artistic Mapping of Migrant Identity (Paper)

Pei-Jung Tsai – The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Abstract:

This proposition explores the affect and material significance of home, memory, and identity in the experiences of migrants, drawing on personal reflections and theoretical insights from new materialism and affect theory. It examines how material fragments of the past – a piece of cement and brick from my ancestral home in Taiwan – become potent relations of belonging and metaphor for the creation symbol. These material objects evoke memories that transcend their physical form, embodying familial history and emotional attachments. Through the lens of autographical narrative inquiry, this article interprets how the material world holds remnants of history, imprints that shape our current experiences and understandings of identity, particularly during migration and mobility. The inquiry also considers how material objects and spaces elicit strong affective responses, shaping our sense of self through engagement with place and memory. By situating these reflections within a broader cultural context, it addresses how nostalgia, identity formation, and memory are intertwined with both the physical world and the symbolic meanings we attach to it. The entangled relationships between materiality, history, and emotion transcend space and time, serving as sites for identity reaffirmation and emotional resonance, especially for those navigating displacement or distance. Ultimately, this article proposes that the affective power of material objects extends beyond their physicality, functioning as vessels for cultural memory and identity construction. This framework offers a positive approach for understanding how material objects foster deeper connections, creativity, place-based engagement, and artwork creation. Additionally, it argues that art provides a compelling medium for expressing these complex emotional landscapes.

Pei-Jung Tsai – Homing Fragments: Artistic Mapping of Migrant Identity (Paper)

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