Mixed-race children and how they are perceived is the subject of photography exhibition ‘m<other>’ in Hong Kong
- Featuring subjects from Hong Kong and Shanghai, Kim Jee-yun’s m<other> is ‘about racial awareness’ and perceptions of differences between ‘a mother and a child’
- The mother of a mixed-race teenager herself, the South Korean artist is interested in how the children of multiracial families establish their identity
South Korean Kim Jee-yun did not have to look far for inspiration for her photography project, “m<other>”. It started with her personal story about intermarriage and mixed-race children.
“‘M<other>’ is about racial awareness and the perceptions towards the different external appearances of a mother and child, and the development of self-representation in mixed-race teenagers,” Kim says. “I took portraits of mothers and their mixed children who were friends, neighbours and people I met through social media.”
Most visuals were captured in Hong Kong, where Kim is now based with her Chinese husband, while some were taken in Shanghai.
“M<other>” will be Kim’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong and comprises photographs and videos from the 10-year project. It will be held at Soluna Fine Art, in Sheung Wan, from February 2 to March 2.
A mix of East and West, Hong Kong, she says, “gives rise to interracial families and concerns for their child’s identity, which vary depending on age, the level of education and the environment they grow up in”.
Initially the project focused on the visible differences between mother and child, such as skin and hair colour.