WHAT WE CARRY

A VISUAL NARRATIVE OF A PEOPLE DISPLACED, IN SEARCH OF BELONGING, BY TRAM COLWIN

“I think the more we know, the better we are. I mean not just facts. The more we know about each other, the closer we are to learn something about ourselves.”
- Maya Angelou -

It’s often common, as humans, to have an innate fear of what (or who) we don’t know. I hope and believe this project will allow our community to pull back that veil a little more, to uncover what we don’t know, and to allow “strangers” to become “neighbors”.

We are drawn to stories of courage, strength, and resilience. The refugee and immigrant community of Northwest Arkansas is a rich source of these stories, but too many of them go untold. This project aims to shine light on our immigrant community, to bring the rest of Northwest Arkansas closer to them, and to honor my own family’s story in the process. 

The inspiration for this project goes back to 1994, when I was barely five years old. The Communist government of Vietnam destroyed our family home in an attempt to seize our land. After nearly two years of resisting, my parents successfully secured our land and rebuilt our home. Despite this victory, with growing tensions between my family and the government, my parents made the difficult decision to apply for resettlement. As US allies during the Vietnam War, and my dad being a former prisoner of the re-education camps, doors opened for our family to resettle in America. 

As my family prepared to leave Vietnam, we painstakingly sifted through our possessions, narrowing down our most essential items and treasures to take with us on our journey to a new home. I remember desperately trying to convince my parents to let me bring as many things as I could carry. In the end though, I was left with having to pick the few items my siblings and I cherished most. Countless other refugees have gone through this same difficult process. Many didn’t have time to grab anything at all as they fled their homes and former lives, in search of safety and a hopeful future.

Tens of thousands of refugees resettle in the United States every year, including in Northwest Arkansas.
We have hundreds of refugee neighbors from places like Syria, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Guatemala, El Salvador, Burma, and Ukraine.

This project is an ode to their journey, and to the grief, memories, and hope they carry. 

In Northwest Arkansas, there’s an amazing organization to welcome these new neighbors.
Canopy NWA is a non-profit organization that supports refugees through resettlement assistance in the state of Arkansas. Since its inception in 2016, Canopy NWA has assisted hundreds of refugees to resettle in the NWA area, and is expected to assist at least 150 more by the end of 2023.

For this project, I’m partnering with Canopy to collect the important stories of some of these refugees through video interviews and watercolor paintings.

PROJECT PHASES

The project consists of three phases: Documentation, Creation, and Presentation.

For the first phase, Documentation, I’ll be collaborating with Iron Lotus Creative to conduct video interviews of refugees and immigrants across Northwest Arkansas. We’ll gather the story of their journey to the US, and learn about the items they deemed most precious to carry along with them. In conjunction with the videos, I’ll photograph the items to use as visual references for the second phase. 

In phase two, Creation, I’ll create still-life watercolor paintings of the items. The collection will be composed of over 10 original watercolor works.

For the third and final phase, Presentation, the collection of paintings will be a traveling exhibit in local galleries and gathering spaces throughout Northwest Arkansas. The exhibit will include video interviews as well. Each venue will feature an opening event where you’re invited to come view the collection and meet our new neighbors in the community.