Diasporic Longing and Rhizomatic Belonging: Art, Objects, Memory, and the Queer Diasporic Experience

Autores/as

  • Marlene Ayumi Ito University of Edinburgh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15273/jue.v16i1.12757

Resumen

This study explores the imbrications of queer identity, diasporic belonging, and memory through the lens of material objects and art
practice. Focusing on queer immigrant and refugee narratives in Scotland, this research examines how objects, such as a great
grandmother’s ring and a rice bowl, become conduits for negotiating diasporic identity and reimagining belonging in the face of cultural displacement. Central to this inquiry is the concept of “diasporic longing,” a sensuous ache of partiality and incompleteness that permeates my interlocutor's experiences of frayed histories and ephemeral homes. To capture the complexity of belonging, this research draws from two ecological metaphorical frameworks: the “rhizome,” which symbolises a flexible, multi-rooted identity that resists traditional inert categories, and the “siphonophore,” an oceanic organism composed of interdependent parts that create a unified whole. This research seeks to contribute to discourse surrounding the role of material culture in queer diasporic communities, offering insights into how objects facilitate the process of self-making and the articulation of home, identity, and desire in diaspora communities.

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Publicado

2026-03-17

Número

Vol. 16 Núm. 1 (2026)

Sección

Articles

Licencia

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