HOME OF THE OTHER: Chinese in Boston
Yi Zhu
In the summer of 2024, I embarked on a project to provide free cleaning assistance to 43 Chinese individuals living in Boston, documenting their homes in the process.
Homes are deeply personal spaces, extensions of the inner self. Through the act of cleaning, I sought to connect with their lives by observing the details of their living spaces—their habits, routines, and the objects they hold dear—gaining an intimate understanding of their stories and identities.
For this exhibition, I transform the Kirkland Gallery into a domestic space that captures all the traces of the homes I have cleaned. Visitors are invited to experience the joy of cleaning themselves, as they begin to explore a room imbued with the presence and stories of the Chinese homes I worked in.