Chicago, March 2004 - Every culture has its own wedding traditions. For some Asian Americans, the western custom of exchanging vows is replaced with pouring tea or rice wine for your parents in front of family altar or by walking around the Agni, a sacred fire believed to be the sustainer of life, which acts as a witness of the marriage.
Through wedding photographs, garments and objects from the 1920s to the present, "Double Happiness: Asian/American Wedding Stories" explores the origin and transformation of Asian wedding culture in America. The exhibition, presented by the Columbia College Chicago Center for Asian Arts and Media, opens at the college's C33 Gallery, 33 East Congress, 1st floor, on Wednesday, April 7 and runs through April 30 (gallery hours are Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 7 pm; Friday 9 am - 5 pm; Saturday by appointment). An opening reception will take place on April 7 from 5-7 pm. Both the exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. For more information call 312-344-8213.
After its run at Columbia College Chicago, "Double Happiness" will travel to the Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph for a one-week stay May 3 - May 7, in the first level rotunda.
"Double Happiness gathers a diverse array of historical and contemporary photographs as well as garments and objects that reflect the changing face of Asian American identity in the context of matrimonial union," explains exhibition curator Yuchia Chang. "You'll learn what it's like to be a traditional Chinese bride, resplendent in intricately embroidered red silk qipao and adorned in bright gold jewelry, or a Korean groom dressed in his flowing, boldly colored hanbok.
"Conversely, many of the images depict Asian couples from past generations in a western white wedding dress and rigidly formal black or white suit. Moving forward, bi-cultural marriages incorporate traditional dress, while opting for unconventional ceremonies in celebration of the mixed marriage.
"We've also taken a serious look at gender and racial relations. From China to the Philippines to Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and India, the content spans and explores the pan-ethnic/multi-ethnic/multicultural identity of Asian America. Falling under categories of ethnicity, time/generation, and place, these memory forms allow us to reflect upon personal stories of love and life and the inevitable changes, cultural fusions and flipsides of tradition."
Double Happiness is generously sponsored by Illinois State Treasurer Judy Barr Topinka, the Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, Harris Bank and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Special thanks goes to the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago and lenders of the exhibited works.
NOTE: Images are available.
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383