As if they never knew any sins of this world

At the Compassion in Action exhibition at the Scenography Gallery, Sharon invited the Alfred community to be immersed in loving-kindness practice through storytelling, confessing, and listening.

There were no boundaries between art, the artist, and viewers. It was open and welcoming. First, I was a member of the audience eyeing Sharon’s knitting performance. I became a participant by telling my secret while sitting on the chair inside the hanging piece. Then, I sat next to Sharon to start knitting on my own. The entire process was filled with sharing, healing, and forgiveness. 

Sharon’s creative work and performance delivered powerful political and social messages by using threads and knitting. An important overlap lies between Compassion in Action and Peace in Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh: their work was made of, and for, peace and love to make social change. In the chapter, “Love Letter to Your Congressman,” Hahn says the way of writing letters to Congress or the President to deliver peace needs to read more like a love letter. He added that a love letter can reach someone’s heart so that we can begin the real conversation. I thought deeply about how much art practice, particularly social practice or political art, including mine, is often fueled by prevailing injustice so that the tone of delivered messages often comes across as angry. Compassion in Action, however, introduces methods of being kind to self then making peace for all by creating an entryway. 

Sharon’s art practice was handed down by her mother’s act of kindness and peace. In The Undoing: Forgiveness, a ritual knitting practice, her waxed hemp twine knitting performance was paired with participants’ stories of anger and frustration. At the end of sharing, they said a prayer to be freed from all pain. This piece reminded me of watching my mother’s back while she performed Buddihst rituals. My mother thoroughly cleans three jars with clear water. She fills each of them again. She stands back and clasps her hands. She prays with closed eyes and bows low. Each glass holds a prayer from her. 

I have guilt from personal wrongdoings and definitely some shred of hate towards people who have hurt me deeply.

I’ve held onto it. Sadly, I am still struggling to forgive and release the sadness, shame, and hate; however, Sharon’s work whispered to me: I have agency to let go, whenever I am ready to be free.

My little girl is 7 months old now. Her palms are indescribably soft, as if they never touched anything dirty, as if they never knew any sins of this world. By smoothing her palms, I found that forgiveness is rebirth. The generational learnings from my mother to my daughter lead me to be at peace, to untangle the complexity of lives, and to water thirsty souls like prayers, as Sharon’s recent work Compassion in Action empowers her audience. 

Rey Jeong, Social practice artist, Professor of Practice & Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Generator at Alfred University. MFA in Art at University of Michigan.