Carys Tay En Xi, A Thousand Miles in a Suitcase

Carys Tay En Xi, A Thousand Miles in a Suitcase, oil on canvas

This painting explores the notion of displacement within an unequal social landscape.

The privileged live freely, surrounded by travel, comfort, and choice, untouched by hardship while the refugees carry their homes in a single piece of luggage, holding survival, identity, and loss. The artist reflects personally, where her own “luggage” contains childhood memories and innocence.

Through this juxtaposition, the work invites viewers to consider the privileges often taken for granted, and to reflect on what “home” truly means when it is no longer a place, but a condition shaped by circumstance, memory, and resilience.

See and Wonder:

• Which object or scene in the artwork reminds you most of your own memories or experiences? Why?

• If you could step into one part of the artwork, what would you hear or feel?

• What kind of privileges do you think you have?

Activity:

• Past-Present-Future Poem: Write a short poem inspired by the artwork about your past memories, present life, and future dreams.

• Sketch a suitcase that contains your treasured memories and objects.