Between - An Exhibition By PyLynne Myers

Artist’s Statement:

Between examines the struggle to find my identity within the realization that bi-racial people navigate the world differently. Using my own family photos, I cut up and reconstruct memories. The use of windows and doors symbolizes home and security as well as a transformative space. Creating dream-like scenes using traditional Thai architecture such as Buddhist Temples, ruins, and photos from my parent’s past travels, I strive to curate an honest narrative of my experience as a person who feels othered.

Revisiting the past, illuminates the hardships endured by my mother. A 26-year-old Thai woman, severed from her family, she came to America with the expectation of a better life. That prospect was never realized; instead, replaced with grief and sorrow. In her, I saw the reflection of my own hopeful innocence and the disappointment of reality. I now recognize how deep-seated discrimination and microaggressions target people of color, especially women.

i+cried,+why+am+i+crying+med.jpg — **I cried, why am i crying?**

Feeling “other” within a community in which you have lived your whole life is debilitating. Struggling to belong causes you to question yourself and place in society. I set out to form my own identity, wanting to belong somewhere, anywhere. The desire to fit in was stifled by the prejudice of others and self-imposed barriers. My identity was chosen for me.

I am a half Thai, half Caucasian woman, not enough of either to truly belong. To some, I was too white and to others, I was too Asian. My parents named me PyLynne, a common name for women in Thailand. However, the spelling was changed to make it easier to pronounce. They gave me the option to go by Lynne, a more Americanized name. When giving me this name, did they realize the struggles I could face as a biracial woman in America? This exhibition seeks to offer forum for self-contemplation into how we treat people seen as other and how it manifests in our society.

You can view all of PyLynne’s work at https://pylynnemyersart.com/