Empty Nest

Empty Nest is a intimate story about family, parenthood, ageing and the universal topic of separation. When a child leaves home, many parents experience a sense of grief and loss of identity, as often in familial relationships we define our identity to the roles we play within the family. In 2019, my mother joined my father on his retirement, while adjusting to their repetitive and domestic new routines, our longings and thoughts for each other’s company grew unbearable. This body of work explores the larger and more complex longing, intimacy and insecurities in family life, and shed-light on the traumas the one-child-policy has imposed on many Chinese families. Embedded with a multi-generational narrative, the work navigates the intricacies that emerge through our past and memories, with recurring themes of loss and nostalgia weaving through the storytelling. And at its core, the work is a reflection and discussion on accepting new identities in familial relationships and the less talked about negotiations in family life.