Letter to 13 year old 直江
Letter to 13 year old 直江
2022 - 2024
Vinyl letterings on the wall
Letter to 13 year old 直江 was originally written as a part of Chain Letters, an online project initiated by artist Christopher K. Ho and curator Daisy Nam for CHART Gallery in 2022. This was after witnessing the height of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic. I wrote a letter to 13 year old self, and wrote about being bullied at my middle school in Japan where I experienced a number of bullying “tactics” including allegation based on fake information about me, humiliating punishment, silence from bystanders, violence, and even restriction of movement within a classroom.
In the end of this letter, I linked human species as bullies to the environment and ecosystems, and the biggest bullies being the Global North, acknowledging that I am a part of this group. This realization has been sitting with me very heavily amid political and social upheaval and accelerating climate crisis.
When Andrew Mroczek, the Director of Exhibition at Lesley College of Art and Design invited me to be a part of the exhibition entitled Language, Like Letters, I shared this letter with him. Andrew asked me if I wanted to speak these words loud or in whisper. I gave a quick thought and said, “LOUD!” He suggested that we make it as a large scale installation. I believe this installation was as much as his work as mine. It was his vision and encouragement that this work became as powerful as it could be. I’m extremely grateful to Andrew for this wonderful opportunity.
Naoe Suzuki
February 1, 2024