A Memory

Artist: Rachel Hong
Writer: Jonathon Park
Editor: Shiori Chen

Rachel Hong, a freshman and passionate creative, makes art to express herself and share her skills with the Carlmont community. Her piece, Memories, depicts Hong and her sister, smiling, in front of Korean palaces and imagery. The piece took her 10-12 hours to create, with Hong utilizing charcoal for the main subjects, and an eraser to add highlights, thereby enunciating the illustration and conveying the sense of glinting sunlight.

Memories is more than a reminiscence on a past memory: it details her complex relationship with her Korean-American identity. Hong, despite being born in America, and not being skilled in speaking Korean, still feels intimately connected to her Korean heritage. This is made clear by the cheerful expressions on the subjects’ faces: Hong and her sister’s reaction to traveling to Korea, a feeling of comfort and joy in being surrounded by their own heritage. 

Hong hopes to remind us that no matter how close or far we may feel from our roots, no matter how Americanized we may believe ourselves to be, we will always be connected to our homeland. Though it may be challenging to reconnect with your place of origin, Hong makes it clear that taking the time to explore your roots is incredibly valuable.