When I first started this project, #TWATYS (2020), I got an inspiration from my lovely aunt who passed away few years ago due to cancer. I remembered to be asked to pack all of her personal stuffs into many plastic bags. In Vietnamese culture, we are asked to use plastic bags to contain all the goner’s personal stuffs and either burn or bury them with her. In this project, I used a huge plastic bag, hung it and placed many feminine objects inside the bag. I chose to use these objects as they represent things that used to personally belongs to the goner: a make – up mirror, a necklace, etc. The apple also was alternatively used for depicting a goner’s alive soul. Generally, the plastic bag represents death while all of other things try to speak for something that always stays alive, memorized and loved. Even though these things would all disappear, but the goner’s images and memories always stay with their families and friends.

 

I was covered fully with sadness and grief by the day my aunt was gone. But deep down inside our hearts, she always stays. For that reason, this project was created to dedicate to my aunt as we always love her and miss her.

  

There was grief

There was sadness

I missed all the days you chose to stay

 

You left us without a proper goodbye

My mouth was numb

Minds got nowhere to settle down

I hated to admit that you were gone

 

We missed you

We love you

And I just wish

We all could come back to

 

There was a time you stayed.