By Casey Neill
A 20-metre long fabric artwork is sharing stories from around the world in Dandenong.
The Asylum Silk Roads exhibition will be on display at Heritage Hill for a month from Thursday 13 July.
It’s the brainchild of South Korean-born printmaker Youbi Lee.
“I started this project from my mother’s inspiration,” she told the Journal.
“My mother works in a South Korean migrant workers centre.”
Youbi said her mum helped migrants who were being exploited in industry.
“I kind of get curious about why people are moving around the world in general,” she said.
“I have a lot of friends who are refugees and people seeking asylum.
“I heard their stories.
“I wanted to create some kind of collaborative art work talking about their stories.”
With help from fellow artists Azizeh Khademim and Mahla Karimiyan she hosted stencil workshops with about 100 refugees, migrants and asylum seekers across Melbourne over the past six months.
Participants designed their own stencils and printed their creations onto pieces of fabric.
Youbi said they learnt skills and made friends.
“The most important part in this project was the process, sharing stories with other communities,” she said.
The finished piece is a 20 metre-long piece of stencilled fabric.
“It’s not individual art works on display like many exhibitions,” she said.
Azizeh “designed this beautiful structure, so it’s not flat”.
“It’s kind of up and own, hanging on the wall and hanging on the ceiling a little bit,” Youbi said.
She will host a screen printing and stencilling workshop from 2pm to 5pm on Thursday 13 July, before the official exhibition opening kicks off at 6pm.
“We will have a beautiful opening night but I thought it would be nice to have a workshop that anyone can join to see what the process was and how they created this collaborative art work,” she said.
Workshop bookings are essential.
Visit www.drumtheatre.com.au or call 8571 1666.
