II. Mapping Memory and Movement
A. Josef’s Dream: The Globetrotter’s Map
‘The Globetrotter’s Map’ is an attempt to trace the pathways of Josef’s dreams through both physical and emotional geography. This piece directly evokes Josef’s aspirations for travel and his dreams of becoming a globetrotter. The use of Josef’s handwriting—screened onto the jute fabric—anchors the piece to his personal and emotional narrative, transforming the map into a tangible representation of his journey. It also allows me to tie the work back to the act of archiving and memory-keeping. The letters, which might have once felt distant or forgotten, are now reintroduced into the present through this embroidered map. The colorful stitches, mimicking the construction of a transit map, draw parallels between the process of mapping or journeying and the excitement and vibrancy of Josef’s dreams of movement and freedom beyond his immediate surroundings. The use of archival elements, such as Pan Am Airways and US Air logos, airline tickets, and travel stamps, anchors this work in a specific historical and cultural moment, linking Josef’s personal dream to a wider cultural narrative of global mobility.
The map is not just a geographical tool but a metaphor for how memory itself moves. The stitches, like the threads of memory, connect different places, times, and moments, representing the movement between them. Just as the transit map might guide a physical journey, the piece acts as a guide for an emotional or mental journey—one that moves from the present back through time, back to Josef’s dreams and my mother’s reflections. The act of remembering is like a journey—it requires movement, transition, and transformation. The stitches act as markers of that journey, tracing the pathways of both memory and longing, and creating a fabric that holds these moments in space. The addition of nautical knots, which frame the piece like an anchor, ties into the theme of journeying and navigation.
B. Josef’s Dream : Mémoires D’Angers
In contrast to the dynamic, colorful composition of The Globetrotter’s Map, Mémoires d’Angers takes a quieter and more introspective approach to the exploration of memory and connection. This piece reflects on the brief but meaningful time that Josef and my mother spent together in Angers, France, in 1980, during a French language course. Although their physical encounter was fleeting—just a few months—the emotional bond they formed left a lasting impression.
Unlike The Globetrotter’s Map, Mémoires d’Angers has a more muted and fragmented aesthetic. I’ve used maps of Angers that are cut and rearranged, creating a sense of dislocation and nostalgia. The fragmentation of the map speaks to how memories often emerge in pieces, not in perfect continuity, but as fragmented snapshots of time and place. They don’t always come to us in whole, continuous forms, but instead, are reassembled from pieces—snippets of places, faces, and feelings that exist outside of linear time.
This piece does not include the bold, colourful transit symbols of the first work; instead, it uses subdued tones to evoke the feeling of a memory that has become distant, even though it is still keenly felt.
Once again, the nautical knots that frame this piece tie it to the theme of journeying. These knots symbolize emotional connections that bind one to specific places and times, representing the internal tensions between holding on to memories and letting them slip away. Just as knots are used to secure a ship to its course, they serve here as a metaphor for the emotional ties that my mother still feels to her brief time in Angers and her friendship with Josef. Through these knots, I explore how journeys are not just about physical movement, but about the emotional landscapes that are formed by these experiences. This piece represents the emotional "mapping" of a memory that can never truly be re-lived, but which remains anchored in the heart and mind.
Josef’s Dream: The Globetrotter’s Map, 2024
Josef’s Dream: The Globetrotter’s Map, 2024
C. Josef’s Dream: The Globetrotter’s Journey
The third piece, The Globetrotter’s Journey, brings together the themes of movement and emotional distance in a more direct way. In this work, I return to the imagery of travel, using the visual language of transit maps and colorful stitches to convey the complexity of journeying, and using transit symbols to connect the global reach of Josef’s dream. The use of vibrant colors recalls the earlier piece but with a deeper sense of emotional weight and finality.
The repetitive stitching creates a sense of depth, both physically and emotionally, suggesting that the journey—whether internal or external—is never linear. Instead, it is marked by intersections of adventure, longing and loss. The piece emphasizes the idea that memory is a journey in itself—an ongoing process of reactivation.
The use of American travel slogans, post stamps, and airline logos in this piece references Josef’s final move to the US, marking the emotional and physical distance that grew between him and my mother after their meeting in France.
Josef’s Dream: The Globetrotter’s Journey, 2024