Hiraeth (2023)

Hiraeth (2024) is a multi-media exhibition by Erin Lam. It is an ode to the nostalgic and often emotionally charged nature of home, family, and displacement. Using a variety of mediums evocative of childhood, including VHS tapes and woven blankets, Lam delves into the essence of home to examine its role in shaping memories and identities. 

Lam offers us a raw and intimate portrayal of family life that is relatable to audiences growing up in the 90s and the early 2000s. As you explore the gallery, we invite you to contemplate what home means to you. Which pieces in Lam’s exhibition evoke feelings of nostalgia for you? Are there objects in your own life that remind you of “home” even if that place no longer physically exists? How do these objects anchor you into the past? 

Hiraeth (2024) presents us a space that embodies the spectre of the home. It emulates the familiar sights, smells, and sounds of home and offers us a glimpse into the enduring notion of home, amidst the trials of emptiness and grief.

Photo courtesy of the artist

Erin Lam has a deep passion for storytelling through art as she creates using both visual and performing arts. Lam uses materials that she believes will best suit the narrative, experimenting with different mediums including sculpture, video, and dance. Art has been a part of Lam’s life since a young age – dabbling in drawing lessons, participating in string orchestras, and taking ballet lessons at her local community centre. These events have transformed Lam into the artist she is today and flourished a love for creating and sharing art with others. Lam has a thirst for trying new art forms as she craves to expand and upgrade her inventory of art vocabulary. She does this to craft old memories, current thoughts, and new stories within the pages of her life. Emerging from a dance background, Lam was trained to use movement to tell stories and to communicate different expressions. Extending beyond her passion for dance, she now uses these tools to help convey deeper sentiments in her artworks.

Opened from February 26 to March 5, 2024

Please contact Gallery 1265 for potential exhibition archival.