In the 1950s, before air travel became widespread, immigrants traveling by sea to Canada endured nearly twenty days crossing the Pacific Ocean, battling storms to reach a new land. Voyage, the theme of this exhibition, reflects not only these maritime journeys but also the emotional and physical challenges faced by women immigrants across generations. Their experiences, like relentless waves, illustrate resilience as they carried both physical belongings and intangible connections to their homelands, navigating the uncertainty of new beginnings.

​

Jessica Cheng curated Her Suitcase: The Voyage of Women Immigrants Exhibition, organised Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library at the University of Toronto. The exhibition is a tribute to Chinese Canadian women from the 1950s to the present. Inspired by Dr Vivienne Poy’s research on Chinese immigrant women in Canada, it uncovers the stories of immigrant women across generations.

In the immersive exhibition, visitors discovered manuscripts from the library collections, publications related to Chinese Canadian women and works created by the Cheng. Through freehand machine embroidery and ZINE creation, the exhibition brings these personal stories to the forefront.