The Rest of his Family in the Living Room on the Other Side of the World
The Rest of his Family in the Living Room on the Other Side of the World
The Rest of his Family in the Living Room on the Other Side of the World
Artist

The Rest of his Family in the Living Room on the Other Side of the World

Date2009
MediumGold and silver jelly roll pen, gold and silver leafing, acrylic jewels
Dimensions22 × 32 in. (55.9 × 81.3 cm) Framed Size: 32 1/4 × 42 1/4 in. (81.9 × 107.3 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection
Object numberDCCAH2010.040
ClassificationsDrawings
Locations
  • Office of Administrative Hearings (441 4th Street NW, 450N)
DescriptionAs a Vietnamese-born American, Khánh Lê explores the contradictions and fragmentations of identity as a central theme of his artwork. He creates dazzling compositions based on family photo albums, digital photographs, and fashion and home décor magazines, as well as collective memories of his and his relations’ experiences as refugees living in Vietnamese internment camps in the 1980s. Through the collaging of materials such as acrylic paint, glitter, prints, and sparkling plastic craft jewels, Lê creates a new historical narrative that is reflective of the tension within his own identity.