May Kytonen
Veiled Passages, 2020
Cotton canvas, embroidery thread, vellum 9" x 9"
This body of work started as an examination of my Taiwanese-American identity through the symbolism of home. I started by embroidering various HGTV "Dream Home" floor plans, letting each stitch manifest an obsessive preoccupation with the embodiment of the American dream through home ownership. I then layered these embroidered works with paper cut Chinese lattice designs from traditional windowpane patterns, interested in the dialogue between the two layers of each piece, and the idea of my Taiwanese heritage framing (and setting the stage) for my life here in the states. The ongoing question of my heart, and in these works, has been, “Where is home, and where do I belong?”
May Kytonen
Opus, 2016
handspun newspaper yarn, chinese lanterns, gold tinsel 12" x 13" x 1"
My process began with a longing for connection. I initially became curious how Chinese and English, the languages of my family, might interact in a joined, physical form. Taking newspaper, I spun together yarn and began knitting. As the tapestry started taking shape, new questions and curiosities arose for me. What did it mean for paper to break, disintegrate, or be left undone? How was something as fragile as paper able to transcend its original form? What visible and invisible forces caused connection within the work?
May Kytonen
On Joy and Sorrow, 2021
Paper, duralar, ink 10" x 10"
May Kytonen
I’m Just Trying to Get Home, 2016
newspaper, red party streamers, gold thread 22" x 34" x 1"
My process began with a longing for connection. I initially became curious how Chinese and English, the languages of my family, might interact in a joined, physical form. Taking newspaper, I spun together yarn and began knitting. As the tapestry started taking shape, new questions and curiosities arose for me. What did it mean for paper to break, disintegrate, or be left undone? How was something as fragile as paper able to transcend its original form? What visible and invisible forces caused connection within the work?
May Kytonen
Generational Atlas, 2020
Cotton canvas, embroidery thread, vellum 9" x 9"
This body of work started as an examination of my Taiwanese-American identity through the symbolism of home. I started by embroidering various HGTV "Dream Home" floor plans, letting each stitch manifest an obsessive preoccupation with the embodiment of the American dream through home ownership. I then layered these embroidered works with paper cut Chinese lattice designs from traditional windowpane patterns, interested in the dialogue between the two layers of each piece, and the idea of my Taiwanese heritage framing (and setting the stage) for my life here in the states. The ongoing question of my heart, and in these works, has been, “Where is home, and where do I belong?”
May Kytonen
Differential Signaling, 2017
newspaper, crepe paper, gold thread. 36" x 18" x 1"
My process began with a longing for connection. I initially became curious how Chinese and English, the languages of my family, might interact in a joined, physical form. Taking newspaper, I spun together yarn and began knitting. As the tapestry started taking shape, new questions and curiosities arose for me. What did it mean for paper to break, disintegrate, or be left undone? How was something as fragile as paper able to transcend its original form? What visible and invisible forces caused connection within the work?
May Kytonen
Cartography, 2016
newspaper, rice paper, gold thread 4" x 5"
May Kytonen
Yuán Fèn, 2020
wax resist dyed canvas 6’ x 12’ x .5"
Yuán Fèn (緣分) is a word for how fate ties together people and places. Featured on these panels are the “Four Symbols”, who serve as guardians of the cardinal directions. They are each paired with notable constellations and comets from Chinese astronomy.
May Kytonen
In the Fabric of Space and Time, 2019
wax resist dyed canvas 6’ x 10’ x 3’
I began exploring the idea of revelation through the process of wax resist dyeing - fabric etched with wax that reveals it’s final image only in the dye process. Using this wax resist technique, I created a multitude of constellation banners that depict the 12 main star signs, and their 36 deacons, or corresponding constellations. Each constellation carries with it a story, both of mythologies of old, and a larger narrative that transcends time and space.
May Kytonen
Path of the Sky Dragon, 2022
reclaimed fabric 50" x 3" x 9"
Inspired by the concept of the celestial dragon in Chinese mythology, or Tianlong (天龍), this installation is an abstract interpretation of the dragon’s winding form, watching over and protecting a high-traffic area. The body of the “dragon” is made up of hundreds of strips of recycled fabric that were collected locally and is a representation of the life of the city and each individual who was once clothed in this material. As Long (龍) are traditionally considered to be benevolent and wise in Chinese tradition, this Sky Dragon hovers over the pedestrian pathway to watch over visitors to the Seattle Center.
