I am a Perilla
‘I am a Perilla’ is an autobiographical sculptural assemblage combining the perilla plant with Hungarian Herend
porcelain, accompanied by the journey of sourcing the Herend porcelain vase in the Netherlands, the cultivation
of perilla from seed to maturity within a domestic setting, and interviews with three South Korean migrants.
When perilla seeds travel far from their native soil, the plant often becomes precious and deeply desired
among South Koreans abroad. Reflecting on her experience of being raised in a South Korean household
while growing up in Hungary, the perilla planted in the Herend porcelain becomes a self portrait that questions
the relationship between rootedness and identity beyond culture, borders, and social stratification.