About “Mother Tiger” “宝妈老虎, baoma laohu” and “호랑이 엄마, holang-i eomma”
Broadly across Asian cultures, tigers have held a mythological position as figureheads of the heavens and of otherworldly deities. In Korean folklore, the tiger symbolizes protection and is seen as an integral piece of the nation’s identity. Similarly to the Korean tiger, the Chinese Lion has long been seen as a guardian and protector of a building from harmful influences. However, the moniker of the tiger mother has become widely popularized to portray a stereotype of an Asian mother, often overbearing and strict, investing themselves into their child’s success through rigorous scheduling and training. Annie and Junyoung have always had a great desire to explore aspects of their identities, such as their relations to the Korean and Chinese Diaspora in America, as well as the generational traumas that are particularly well pronounced within AsianAmerican people groups. The Mother and Sister Machines perfectly encapsulated their scope of interest, as it explored inherited memories shared between generations of bacteria. With guidance and inspiration from Dr. Mugler and his team’s research, “Mother Tiger” explores the correlations between the microscopic, unseeable trends of inherited memory from a cell to its offspring and the often strained relationships between a mother and her daughter, altered by trauma and love.
Junyoung Hur is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology while completing minors in studio arts, chemistry, and Korean. Drawing on experiences gained from their time in South Korea, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, their work is highly interested in the relations between the empirical and the metaphysical; how the fundamental properties and mechanics of life can be interpreted and be used to make inferences on the nature of human existence. By creating multimedia artworks which invite the viewer to look microscopically inward towards their behaviors and actions, they hope to instill a curiosity to try and understand the root causes of one’s own thoughts and emotions. When not drawing, weaving, or sculpting, Junyoung would prefer to be in bed, sleeping or reading, whenever possible.
Annie Du uses her identity in her art, and how she presents herself to others has always been very important to her. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in studio arts and a Bachelor of Science in economics at the University of Pittsburgh. Through her art, she likes to dive into the many interests that she has. As a sponge soaking up different information in her daily life, the little hints of inspiration she gets fuel what she makes as art and describe her identity in how she interacts and thinks about the world around her.
