photo/foto: Laura Bluher

The Lost Twelve Years

I kneel on a Chinese traditional artwork, shooting myself with ink. This performance is an apology for my twelve-year absence from the culture that has nurtured me. I baptize myself with Chinese ink in order to be saved from fear of loss, to preserve my identity in a process of self-transformation, and to capture my stray soul in a foreign land.

Biography

Chun Hua Catherine Dong is a Chinese-born artist, with an MFA from Concordia University. She has performed in national and international venues such as Kaunas Biennial; Infr’ Action Festival, Italy; Festival für Performance, Germany; and Place des Arts, Canada. Her research is supported by Canada Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.