As an expatriate living in a foreign country with a foreign culture, I often ponder the social and psychological effect it has on me. If I fail to uphold the customs of my heritage culture, will I experience a painful sense of loss when I completely lose my understanding and sensitivity to the culture I grew up in?
Can I ever truly adopt the mainstream culture I live in now? Will I find myself lost in between two cultures, not feeling at home nor at ease in either one? The result of the choices I make now, namely where I choose to live and how I choose to live, may only become apparent to me when I reach middle age. On the contrary, the marginalism afforded by living in a foreign country, as a minority, does also give rise to unique experiences and emotions, which could be beneficial to my heritage culture and the mainstream culture in which I live.
Severed aims to interpret the detachment from heritage culture, felt by immigrants, expatriates and anyone who’s losing their sense of home and belonging. It would serve as a household reminder of our roots, and the possible effects of detachment from our heritage culture.
The blood red laid rope, which serves as the support of the stool, has an umbilical quality, suggestive of a severing from heritage culture. The plush leather upholstered seat, of the same colour, invites the individual to sit, with bare feet resting on the coarse rope, conjuring a haptic and meditative reflection on culture and belonging.
