Many Thanks!

My sincere thanks to everyone who helped make last night’s opening a great success!!! The art was gazed upon by many eyes, the food was eaten to the bottom of the trays, and the conversation was fantastic!

“Perceptions” will be up in the Morrissey Gallery now through the month of February. You can also view the collection here under the Perceptions tab. Prints are available in two sizes: 20″ x 20″ ($90) or 12″ x 12″ ($45). Simply send the title of the piece along with the preferred size directly to me at: ReneeMeyerErnst@gmail.com

“Perceptions”

A journey of place, time, and memory from a Korean adoptee who searched and found the unexpected.

Opening Reception:
5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, January 29, 2011
Morrissey Gallery in the Galvin Fine Arts Center
St. Ambrose University | 518 West Locust Street
Davenport, IA 52803

"Fallthrough" | 2010

Ironically remembered as the “Forgotten War,” the Korean War was an event that would forever change U.S.-Korean relations. While fighting and destruction were anticipated outcomes, this war also yielded something that was much less expected: that of mixed-race children born to unwed mothers who had affairs with U.S. soldiers. Due to cultural stigmas at the time, the women and children affected by these circumstances had very little support. In response, Oregon natives Harry and Bertha Holt established an international adoption program (Holt International) with South Korea in 1955. Since that time, Korea has become the third largest provider of international adoptions in the world today. While the adoption program has largely been a great success bringing hope and happiness to families around the world, certain aspects have become a point of ethical controversy.

Perceptions is an exploration of my personal experiences as a Korean adoptee. Though I have always been thankful for the life given to me, I – like so many international adoptees – have also struggled with notions of belonging, solidarity, and personal identity. After traveling back to Korea, meeting a foster mother, and undergoing a biological parent search, the uniqueness and complexity of my individual situation has become quite apparent to me in both exciting and nerve-racking ways.

These digital collage paintings are composed of a number of images, most of which are photographs I’ve taken from home and Korea. The combination of elements in each collage represents the synthesis – as well as the dissection – of experiences and emotions I’ve had throughout my adoption journey. The pieces are a celebration of culture, discovery, and gain, as much as they are about loss, confusion, and desire. Most of all, they are a visual memory of an otherwise formless, unspoken, and fragile concept that could so easily be forgotten.

The complete collection of prints on display can be viewed under the Perceptions tab on this blog.

To learn more about me, please visit: www.reneemeyerernst.com or drop by the Morrissey Gallery for an opening reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Galvin Fine Arts Center.

Thanks for stopping by!