Defense Date
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Kinetic Imaging
First Advisor
Pamela Turner
Second Advisor
Stephanie R. Thulin
Third Advisor
Meg Miller
Abstract
The Ethereal Being That Is Me, and Maybe You is a 23-minute video collection of short stories accompanied by an installation at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. This thesis explores the work’s creation as a visual and narrative meditation on self-transformation, drawing from personal experiences in therapy and philosophical texts including Carl Jung’s concept of the unconscious. The paper examines how each story represents a distinct stage of transformation—from recognizing patterns to confronting setbacks to reshaping internal dialogue—and how watercolor’s fluid, unpredictable nature serves as a visual metaphor for the process of change. The installation component features 배냇저고리 (traditional Korean newborn garments) inscribed with messages of encouragement, creating a physical space that welcomes viewers at any stage of their own transformation. Through analysis of the narrative structure, visual language, and philosophical influences, this paper articulates how the work functions as both personal documentation and an offering to others navigating self-transformation, inspired by the Buddhist monks’ Walk for Peace and the belief that encountering such work might awaken something within the viewer they didn’t know they had—or had forgotten was there.
Rights
© Hwiy Chang
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-5-2026