B O D Y   O F   W O R K

In this thesis exhibition, I transfigure myself onto paper through creating a series of soft ground etchings entitled, Body of Work. Each of these black and white intaglios are framed in glass and metal, and are together presented in a grid of thirty-five pieces. These images, both individually and collectively, are intended to capture impressions that feel both intimate and alien.

Inspired by the tactile relationship between body and surface, each intaglio documents the pressure of my flesh against metal, creating a direct translation of three-dimensional form into a plane of two-dimensional embossment. This process reveals viscera that might typically be unseen — pores, textures, the subtle topography of skin — while simultaneously abstracting the body into a new visual territory.

In an effort to create printed matter beyond mere pixalized documentation, I use elemental materials: tar - salt - copper - ink - paper.  I press my body directly onto asphaltum coated copper plates. These exposed impressions are then etched with a salt-based ferric solution. After the copper plate is bitten, I wipe black oily ink into the incised areas of the copper. Together with mouldmade paper, the two elements collide through a hand-turned press.

Each print contains specific information about my physical self, like a specimen on a glass slide — a deconstruction of my visceral body. This sense of decompartmentalization reflects my instinctive response to how I perceive myself, my body, in this newly digitized world. This is a world where I see technology and its leaders gradually controlling all aspects of our lives, our communities, and our government.

In Body of Work, I am simultaneously creating and created, observing and observed. Boundaries between myself and my work dissolve, resulting in images that capture both presence and absence, recognition and transformation.

E o E

This book, entitled, EoE, unveils a stark span of time of my autistic brother’s recent life with this condition known as Eosinophilic Esophagitis. It is marked by his experiences caused by his severe allergies, vomiting, and restricted activities. EoE, as a recently discovered condition, is scrutinized and disputed by some medical professionals, even with positive results from endoscopies. It is characterized by inflammation of the esophagus which can be brought on by frequent and distressing episodes of vomiting, typically occurring multiple times daily.

Michael's journey is further complicated by his inability to express himself as he has severe, non-verbal autism. This ledger narrative began in the form of a “vomiting log” for his gastroenterologist, and then eventually for his entire care team. He and his representatives were defenseless at advocating for his EoE diagnosis and so the condition ensued.

As his sister, this book is more than a medical record — it is a visual and visceral representation of my brother’s daily struggle over the past two and a half years. This aching span of time, patience, and powerlessness has been haunting — witnessing my brother’s life suspended like a Schrödinger’s cat.

Encased in a medical Manila envelope, the data carefully chronicles each episode of his vomiting, correlated with the foods consumed, offering insights into potential triggers. The sheets spill out of the folder as a visual metaphor and as a form of cry for help. This project documents the human condition, suspending the unspoken challenges faced by my brother who is helplessly bombarded by varied perceptions of his autism, allergies, and EoE.