» Myth East Mist

Myth East Mist is based on Tuan Mami’s extensive research about the Vietnamese community in South Korea – home to approximately 65,000 multicultural Vietnamese – Korean families. Predominantly composed of Vietnamese brides who have chosen to come to South Korea or have been brought there to marry Korean men (often strangers to them), these families often include the brides’ mothers, who have also relocated from Vietnam. In a foreign land, unable to communicate in the local language and with no companionship, these mothers often find themselves isolated from the rest of society.

As an artistic response, Tuan Mami transformed a section of the gallery space to resemble the room of one of the brides’ mothers. Nearby, he also created a resting platform and extended an invitation to 50 Vietnamese women residing in South Korea to engage in a shared knitting ritual. Through this act of communal creation, moments of connection and conversation emerged.

The act of knitting carries echoes of the stories from the Vietnam War era, where women would knit sweaters and scarves to send to their loved ones on the battlefields, imbuing each stitch with love, hope and protection. In Myth East Mist, Tuan Mami honors these narratives while also fostering a space for solidarity and collective storytelling. The work was first installed at ACC-Asian Culture Center, Gwangju, South Korea (2015-2016).