Objects given to my mom because she is Asian
Kyla Bourgh’s installation at Lansdowne Station presents objects that have been given to the artist’s mother over the past fifty years. Each object was gifted to her because of her physical and cultural identity. These gifts are thematically “Asian” in style, and although they were offered in kindness, they unconsciously express to her that she is and always will be a “visible minority” in the farming community in rural British Columbia where she lives.
Through this work, the artist considers the unconscious biases placed on her mother and how they differ from the artist’s own lived experience as someone of mixed ethnicity who is white “passing.”
The photographed objects exist in an unclear cultural locale that challenges the viewer to unpack their own prejudices and perspectives. From within the diverse mix of cultures present in Richmond and in Canada at large, Bourgh’s work raises questions about the dichotomy many people face between having a sense of belonging and of being stereotyped within a country where many of their families have resided for several generations.
Presented in partnership with City of Richmond Public Art and the Canada Line Public Art Program – InTransit BC