Melissa Mui

飯廳

My project, 飯廳 (The Dining Room), is an examination of my lived experiences during my childhood and adolescence in the domestic space. Using archival and new photographs, I question the cumulation of parental, cultural and generational influences in my life, as I trace back cultural and domestic expectations in my family history. Images feature forms of the dinner table and depictions of family gatherings to understand unspoken concepts such as ‘face’ and ‘乖’ (gwaai), exist in this environment. Collage techniques, such as sewing, cutting and covering, are used over photographs to highlight and conceal gestures, gazes and dynamics. Visual connections about power dynamics, the act of gossiping, and physical portrayals of a well-behaved daughter are explored in resulting images.

Works by Carrie Mae Weems, Lau Wai and Stephanie Syjuco are referenced throughout the project, as they bring attention to domestic experiences that are significant to one’s identity.