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- There was always a small crowd making cards at Detour 2011
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- Paper Memory by Doveen Schecter
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- Paper Memory Exhibit by Doveen Schecter at Detour 2011, Hong Kong
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- Paper Memory Exhibit by Doveen Schecter
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- Mini cardmaking workshop at Detour with dove of the East papers and stamps
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- Happy cardmaker using Dove of the East papers
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- Dove of the East Cardmaking at Detour 2011
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- Dove of the East Cardmaking at Detour 2011
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- Dove of the East Cardmaking at Detour 2011
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- Dove of the East Cardmaking at Detour 2011
I put my life on the wall for two weeks and hundreds of people stopped to stare, dream and remember their own lives. I was a bit terrified the night before I put up the life size posters of the many scraps of paper and photos of of my life that I collected since I was 8 years old–photos of me in Japan, Russia, Paris, Thailand and many other places. Intimate, voyeuristic and honest, the posters (and if you read the poems and journal entries carefully) were full of the awkwardness of a teenager and a kid who had sometimes struggled to fit in. Once I got over the initial trepidation it was very freeing to let go and honor the little girl I was once was who collected jam labels, telegrams, tickets and every odd bit of paper that looked pretty or conjured a time and place. In between the posters I made clocks that, instead of hours, showed years, cities and events in my life, with one for every decade! The most wonderful moment was being able to show my parents the show! Their rare visit coincided and gave me a chance to pay tribute to them and all the adventures of their lives of taking 5 kids around the world. I wish my brothers and sisters could have seen it!
People came up to me who were emotional as they looked around the room. One man I’d never met came up and said “Your show makes me cry.” He explained that he had just lost a friend who he had travelled with 20 years ago and now felt compelled to collect all of their memorabilia from the trip and make an album for his friend’s brother. Another woman had grown up in Kowloon City with her godfather and not her parents. The exhibit brought up her feelings of loss– of not having any photos of her own childhood. So many people took tome to tell me that they enjoyed it and felt inspired to make a scrapbook. I also taught some mini cardmaking workshops where people could stop and make a card for free and learn clear stamping, punching and how to use rubons. Thanks to all the wonderful families, students and creative people who made a card! Are you in one of the pictures? Happy Holidays to all!
