Mixed Media Installation
The installation, Laundry Suite, with artwork and text, honors the lives of my deceased parents, my father, Bay Doc Chiang and my mother, Hop Kun Leo. My father arrived in New York at age 13 to work in his brother's laundry. To this laundry, my mother arrived at at age 21 as the bride of an arranged marriage. And, in this laundry, they raised a family. I am grateful to my parents for their lives of sacrifice, hardship and courage as immigrants to the other side of the world.
A part of this installation was exhibited during Diaspora Vibe Gallery's International Cultural Exchange at the Instituto Cultura in Aruba in 2003. Rena Coster of The News in Aruba wrote, "The issues discussed are global, yet viewed from personal points of view and are influenced by the artists' country of birth and its heritage. Jean Chiang shows a lyrical monochrome embroidered piece, an abacus, and poetically shares her Chinese heritage, as handed down by a loving father. The written word and its plastic manifestation created an unforgettable artistic experience."