On January 13, 1903, the first transoceanic Korean immigrants arrived in Honolulu on the ocean liner RMS Gaelic. Archival photographs of the Gaelic have become an essential visual motif in my art as well as inspiring my large ceramic installation, “102 American Dreams.” Each ceramic egg represents one passenger on the ship who made their first migration out of Korea. Using eggs as symbols of new potential, and sand to trace the path of migration on the water, I reinterpret the historic event to explore my connection to my forerunners and trace their journeys.
“102 American Dreams,” 2025, glazed porcelain and stoneware, and sand, size variable
