The third and final exhibition of the 2024 Jones Artist Awards, “Traces of Being,” explores how family relics, memories, and cultural heritage shape identity. The exhibition reflects on the legacy of immigrant experiences in Houston, blending personal and collective histories with joy and nostalgia.

Jean Shon’s series “Ahppa’s Songbook” presents a charming portrait of the artist’s father through photographs of his handwritten lyrics to popular songs. As a non-native English speaker immersing himself in a new culture, her father made transcription mistakes, which Jean finds endearing and highlights to reflect on the beauty of imperfection and the fluidity of meaning.

Kaima Akarue captures the emotional weight of memories, transforming lived experiences into something more elaborate, evocative, or grand — often through the lens of childhood. Her collages remind us how memory reshapes itself, becoming more vivid and complex over time.

Kim Le’s “Combination Pho,” is a ceramic work filled with Cheetos, egg tarts, and rice bags, which symbolizes her Vietnamese roots as a second-generation American. Kim articulates her experience of Vietnamese identity as “second hand,” stating, “I inherited a love for sour-smelling fish sauce and pungent durian all while immersed in Cartoon Network and blasting Spice Girls. I am Vietnamese but can’t speak it; I eat the food but can’t cook it; I celebrate it but barely know it. Yet I know how to spell Mississippi and [can recall] every single episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Stanley Bermudez’s “Family of Origin” series is a heartfelt tribute to his family. His paintings focus on tender moments between his parents, exemplified in Barbershop of Love, which captures his mother cutting his father’s hair — a cherished ritual from their 64 years of marriage. The poignancy of these portraits is heightened by the recent passing of his mother, who saw these paintings in progress.

Photography by Nick Evans Photo

Video by Tripp Films