A Chance to Be Seen - Kayla Tange's Portfolio

From the group show Memories of Tomorrow's Sunrise curated by Jason Jenn & Vojislav Radovanović with Mika Cho, Professor, ART/Director, Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery, Cal State Los Angeles.

Memories of Tomorrow’s Sunrise investigates concepts of legacy, personal relationships, family ancestry, cultural identity, and the historical struggles of being human that have moved us in profound ways. A multiform poetic narrative with emotional resonance is woven together based on the assembled artists’ experiences. The exhibition recognizes the role of ancestors, blood families, chosen families, and mentors alongside the traumas, tragedies, and teachings in making us who we are today. The artists create work in part as an effort to survive the challenges of the present moment and with the hope of leaving a lasting, purposeful impression behind. Collectively, we are the ancestors of tomorrow’s sunrise and someday, we shall all be but a memory.

A Chance to Be Seen (and not disappear when feelings appear), 2022, is a sculptural display of letters between myself and my biological mother. Some have been translated by my social worker assigned to the case at the time, post unsuccessful reunification upon returning from South Korea. Some of the documents are from my transactive adoption. International adoption in Korea, a highly profitable export since the Korean war, has displaced over 150,000 children. This piece acts as a way to not only shine a light on a once personal shame of mine but also be reminiscent of an innocuous store window where advertising and evening window shopping might occur. Despite my adoptive parents being the best I could have asked for, raising me with immense love and care, I never ceased to believe my own country viewed me as a commodity. This experience set the tone for many work choices I found the most comfort in, such as sex work and erotic dance. The transformation and chosen family that arose from actively putting myself on display was an unexpected and treasured part of this healing process.