Silent threads

This participatory project explores the experiences and identities of Hmong refugee women in Thailand. Each woman has embroidered over her own photo, selectively revealing and concealing elements of her image, and weaving her identity into the portrait.

The Hmong people, from East and Southeast Asia, have long faced ethno-religious persecution. The women in the portraits tell harrowing stories of being forced to escape their home country of Vietnam as a result of violence and oppression. Living as refugees in Thailand, they confront new adversities, stripped of legal recognition and vulnerable to financial insecurity and deportation. Traditional embroidery is now not only their livelihood, but also a medium of self-expression, allowing them to find their voice in a world that often silences them.

Refugees and asylum seekers rarely have any control over how they are represented in the media, and are often forced to keep a low profile in order to stay safe. Within this context, the objective of the project was to bring attention to the stories of these women, allowing them control over how they were being depicted and preserving their anonymity. During the production process, a theme emerged as central to the project: the tension between hiding and speaking up that is central to these women's lives.

The project was realized in collaboration with Asylum Access Thailand, an organization that supports refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand.