I am who I am where I am: validating in-between status with an artist's book and autobiography
Date
2024
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Abstract
This autobiography investigates in-between/betwixt identities about my immigration experiences as a woman of color in the U.S. Autobiography was historically used for presenting stories about the great white men (Smyth, 2016). Then, autobiography was written by white middle class women during first wave feminism to work against patriarchy and sexism (Bromley, 2012). Since 1970, women of color wrote down our experiences as a collective identity, and many Asian American art educators continue the legacy with autobiography by expressing in-between identities. I created a series of Artist's book with graphic design and printmaking based on two arts-based investigations to find my root: 1) practice-based research (Sullivan, 2004) and 2) a/r/tography (Irwin, 2013). I used the framework from Sullivan's (2004) argument that visual art is a theoretically grounded form of research to make an action which I was drawn to because it empowers other first-generation women of color with my experience. Also, a/r/tography helps me to understand my previous experience about belonging and how the idea of belonging can continuously move toward new understanding about my in-between identities, becoming transformational ideas (Irwin, 2013). I will expand to a greater narrative to generate political meaning collaboratively in future research as autoethnography.
Description
Rights Access
Embargo expires: 05/20/2026.
Subject
an artist's book
autobiography
practice-based
arts-based
a/r/tography
in-between