Ho Yen Yen

Ho Yen Yen’s Private Journey transforms the exhibition space into a mix of an archaeological dig site, and a storage room. The installation combines video, sound, drawings, and found materials to tell a forgotten story from Pacific archaeology—one often left out of official records.
    At the center of the installation are broken ceramic fragments from the Lapita culture, some of the oldest traces of human life on Pacific islands. Like fitting together missing pieces, the work uncovers the story of archaeologist Mary Elizabeth Shutler (1929‒2018), left out of early excavation history, and gestures toward others forgotten because of gender or social status.
    Ho often draws on science, especially astronomy and archaeology. Her work explores how we imagine the past through objects, museums, and the stories they hold.