Marina Peng

Lives and works in St. Louis, MO

Artist statement

In my practice, I examine my position as a second-generation American in the Midwest. I explore the cultural dissonance that arises by representing the cycles that exist within my family, dual cultures, and myself. With wool, cotton, and jute, I primarily use hand weaving and punch needle embroidery techniques to create tapestry works and textile drawings. Through my work, I look to convey how patterns form across generations. My work engages with the histories of the previous three generations of my family, beginning with my grand- and great-grandparents in China, to my parents’ immigration to the Southern United States, to my coming of age in St. Louis, Missouri. It often features my own figure or hands—sometimes multiplied—caught in a physical struggle, performing handiwork, or facing exile. These scenes transform family history and methodologies into “patterns” of internal conflict and isolation. My work considers how these past narratives have permeated my own in conjunction with my Western cultural environment. Through the symbolism and labor embedded in my work, I aim to translate the convergence of personal and family narratives into a visual language for the Asian diaspora.

Artwork