Window Home

used window, ink, water, rice paper, white cloth, 2002

Window Home is a second piece of the series Building Private Space. It is a tiny space made by used window to express my transitional status.

Kids often gather household materials and build their own space. When I was a little girl, I used to hang a curtain around chairs and stay in there for a long time. After moving to the Unite States, I again felt I needed that kind of private space in order to recover my confidence.

Although it is called “Home”, the space is fragile and clearly seen from outside, which represents my opposite desires to be protected and to be exposed-to be able to access outside world.

Inspired by the images of Alice in Wonderland, I took pictures of myself inside in uncomfortable poses. Even though I no longer fit within the space, I hesitated to leave, and so I disguised my discomfort with a smile, as if the room was very comfortable. The photos have a sense of irony because of the contrast between the comfortable faces and the uncomfortable poses.