Julie Anne Lee

Series of seven silk sheets containing portraits of a young woman.

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In her glory is a collection of silk scarves containing memories of my mother, specifically in her youth before she went to America. This portrait series depicts a woman's youthful beauty throughout time while she navigates throughout her life journey. In the fabric design, the patterns mimic the clothes that this woman is wearing in the implanted image. For example, the checkered pattern on the woman's jacket is repeated throughout the fabric and she blends in with the pattern, creating a fleeting memory that has been frozen in time.

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As a prized fabric, silk has been seen as a symbol of luxury and good fortunes, as well as a symbol of vanity that reflects a person's strife for respect and appreciation. Here, the fabric is used to reflect the woman's longing to be perceived as remarkable and to enjoy a comfortable life.

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Her longing and desires to be appreciated, cherished, and to live a better life are reflected throughout the collective experiences of AAPI women who have had to persevere through tribulations hosted by harmful systems that are under the guise of "the American Dream." In this transparent and fragile fabric, the woman is looking back and forward where her gaze is constant, even as her journey leads to the destination of America.

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Little does she know that she is already remarkable for simply existing. Whether or not "theAmerican Dream" validates her (and countless others), it will never erase the fact that she is already remarkable and that she deserves better.

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Here she lies, basking in her glory.

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