Tja Ling Hu
‘My project is about a search for identity in which a change of place is crucial. I did this project in order to learn more about my Chinese background and history. Now I can focus on the present again.’
Before I Was Born (2020)
The exhibition topic Sense of Place befits Tja Ling Hu, as her project explores identity in relation to migration: moving from one place and cultural context to another. Tja Ling grew up in the Netherlands, but had a Chinese upbringing. In 2018 she interviewed her grandfather and other family members about their journey from China to the Netherlands, on the basis of which she then made a series of pencil drawings. Thanks to this project, Tja Ling got a better picture of her Chinese background, her family, and herself: ‘It became a way to lessen the distance between myself and my Chinese background. With this project, I hope to bring the viewer closer to Chinese culture, too.’
Tja Ling Hu
Tja Ling Hu (Gorinchem, Netherlands, 1987) is an illustrator and visual artist who lives and works in Rotterdam. Her detailed and personal drawings capture an intimate perspective of her Chinese roots and her family, who left China in the 1970s and immigrated to the Netherlands.
The drawings and her genealogical research helped Tja Ling reconnect with her heritage. They also illustrate her family’s history over four generations and their journey to find a place in society.
1/5
2/5
3/5
4/5
5/5
This project is partially sponsored by
