Orchestrating a Blooming Dessert

I had the privilege of taking my parents to view “The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art By Native Americans” - which is the current main featured exhibition at the National Gallery of Arts in DC. 

It was a mesmerizing experience that I can only describe with the word "alignment," because every bit of essence pouring out of each piece on display aligned with my soul: the connections of Earth, Sky, water, culture, heart…and the yearning to preserve the pre-colonization spirit of the ancestors…can be echoed back from across the ocean by my Vietnamese people.

“For all of us, becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children’s future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

While I took more photos than I could possibly upload here in one day, I want to highlight the piece that captured my heart the most: “Orchestrating a Blooming Dessert” by Steven Yazzie. The artist encapsulates every layer of my core values into one harmonious symphony of colors. I have no word because no word is needed.

Please do check out this exhibit online or in person if you can. You can also purchase their catalog, which includes all the pieces and artists’ insights. And happy Indigenous People's Day!