A new exhibition honouring the legacy of Chinese immigrants is on display at the Art Gallery of St. Albert.
Edith Chu, the Edmonton artist behind Sweet and Sour Memories, wanted to share her experience growing up in her family’s restaurant, Szechuan Cuisine, and living as a first generation Canadian.
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She created the exhibition using different mediums including watercolour paintings, takeout boxes which tells the stories of her youth and family photos drawn on replica patrons' cheques.
“The artwork is about causing viewers to slow down and pay attention to the voices of many Chinese immigrants … understanding where they came from, the obstacles they faced, their sacrifices and their contributions to society,” Chu said in a release.
Emily Baker, a curator at the Art Gallery of St. Albert, told CTV News Edmonton what direction Chu took for the exhibition.
“It’s a story of a family starting fresh,” Baker said on Thursday. “This experience of growing up in the restaurant and coming to understand the sacrifices that your parents made so that their children could have a better life is something that was really important (to) Edith.”
“All of these memories are things that … everyone can relate to, and they’re really beautiful (stories).”
A virtual tour, an artist talk along with in-person and co-curator tours are scheduled in the coming weeks.
Sweet and Sour Memories runs until May 1.
