CYJO’s series “Mixed Blood” portrays mixed-race families:
CYJO identifies herself as a Westerner of Korean ethnicity (she was born in South Korea and raised in the United States) and photographed the series “Mixed Blood” from 2010–13 in both New York and Beijing. … CYJO said one of the reasons she began the series was a curiosity about exactly what “mixed ethnicity” currently represents, noting that as countries such as China continue to modernize, how the mix of new culture will blend with longstanding traditions will be interesting to follow. While there are people who fear cultural blending, CYJO said the idea of a global identity and our definition of self, culture and race is rooted in life experiences and personal choices.
“But the bigger question is how will cultures and people maintain their individuality?” she asked. “What will be those cultural differences aside from language and food that will make a culture unique? There’s so much more we can learn from each other, especially from our differences.”
“Mixed Blood” is traveling to multiple cities in China. The exhibition, which launched at Today Art Museum in Beijing, is sponsored by the US Embassy, Beijing, curated by Nik Apostolides, and designed by Timothy Archambault. Check out the book here. See more of CYJO’s work here.
(Photo: Doyle Family, 2010. Citizenship: American. Ancestries: African, American Indian, Creole, Cuban, French, Irish. Languages: English, Spanish, French. Live in New York. © CYJO)
The Dish 