BYOB (Bring Your Own Belongings) Installation by Su Ji Lee

As an awardee of Asian American Arts Alliance’s 2023 What Can We Do? micro grant, photographer Su Ji Lee takes in collaboration with the Queens Botanical Garden and its dedicated Tai-chi community. BYOB (Bring Your Own Belongings) is an ongoing project by Su Ji where the selected community members are photographed with a cherished belonging that holds significance in representing their identity, cultural background, or personal interests. The project aims to visualize the intimacy people have with their possessions and provide an intimate bonding experience in the presence of the photographic lens. Within each photograph, the subjects’ postures are gracefully infused with the natural motions derived from the practice of tai-chi. The integration further enhances the dynamic interaction between the two main subjects—the model and their cherished belongings—captured in each frame.

The installation is on view at the V&A Gallery in Queens Botanical Garden starting from June 1st, 2023 until July 30th, 2023.