Min Wei has been a self-taught photographer since 2021 and is completing an MA in Photography at Goldsmiths, University of London.

 

It is common for international students to bring a number of items from home to settle into life in a new country. These objects are connected to the past, as objects that project past emotions and also have a metaphor for new identities. They also reflect their re-examination and redefinition of their new lives in the face of an unfamiliar country and the ensuing turbulent times.

Therefore, the retention of these personal belongings contains both memories of the past and the value of being brought up and continuing to influence future lives. The mobilization, disposal, and secondary use of these possessions during the period of moving house and transition to university identity exemplifies the role of personal belongings in autobiographical memory and symbolic identity.