Tracing "Yu Xiaomei"

The project is a research on a lady who was born in China, 1947, and passed away in Arica at the end of 2017.

Yu Xiaomei, name of the main character, was my grandma. Her daughter has married an Arican from Cote d'lvoire in 1992. Yu determined to move to Africa alone to stay with her daughter at the age of sixty-five, and never had a chance to back to China again. The last time I saw Yu, she was seriously ill and has lost her language skills in Africa. I accompanied Yu and document the last 7 days of her life. Eventually I buried her in Congo, Africa.

In order to better understand the underlying reasons for losing Yu, I began to trace her past and analyze it. Comprehensive collection of related images had gathered, meanwhile, I started to reconstruct people who comes and goes in Yu's life by splitting, regrouping the images and mixed with diverse languages. In the research for Yu from my perspective, I found myself immersed in self-identity under the globalization in this chaotic world.

© Senjie Zhu - Yu Xiaomei In 1969, 2017
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Yu Xiaomei In 1969, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Family Archive, 2018
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Family Archive, 2018

© Senjie Zhu - Going Home Is A Long Way To Start, 2019
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Going Home Is A Long Way To Start, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - Socialist Puzzle, 2019
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Socialist Puzzle, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - "Beds In My Hometown are Made of Ivory", Shanghai 1989, 2019
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"Beds In My Hometown are Made of Ivory", Shanghai 1989, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - Rare Occasion, Shanghai 1991, 2019
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Rare Occasion, Shanghai 1991, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - To Your Place, 2019
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To Your Place, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - "Ni Hao", 2018
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"Ni Hao", 2018

© Senjie Zhu - Boarding, Ethiopian, 2017
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Boarding, Ethiopian, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Home, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Home, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Nanny Christian and Mimi, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Nanny Christian and Mimi, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - I Met Yu, Lubumbashi, 2017
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I Met Yu, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Yu's Daughter, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Yu's Daughter, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Funeral, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Funeral, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Yu's Shroud, 2018
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Yu's Shroud, 2018

© Senjie Zhu - Yu's Daughter Is Having Massage, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Yu's Daughter Is Having Massage, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Certificate, 2019
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Certificate, 2019

© Senjie Zhu - Yu's Daughter Standing By Her Grave, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Yu's Daughter Standing By Her Grave, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Back Home, Lubumbashi, 2017
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Back Home, Lubumbashi, 2017

© Senjie Zhu - Self-Portrait With Yu in 2019, 2019
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Self-Portrait With Yu in 2019, 2019

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