OMIYAGE

2020
Porcelain

In Japanese culture, omiyage is the practice of bringing home a keepsake from one’s travels for the people in one’s community, so that they may catch a glimpse of the experience the traveller was fortunate enough to have.

The shape of each Omiyage piece is inspired by how we present things to others in East Asian culture: as a sign of respect, we always use both hands.

An Omiyage piece nestles cosily into palms that are cupped together. Faced up, it features a gradient from at one colour to another, sometimes two. This parallels the gradual change one experiences
with each journey one
embarks on.

This work debuted in To Return From Sojourn, my first solo exhibition back in Singapore after half a decade of splitting the seasons between Singapore, my childhood home, and Taiwan, the birthplace of my studio practice. The exhibition features 4 works, each focusing on a different visual element. Omiyage features the element of shape.