Number of the Day: 7,103

Oil pastel on black paper roll and the nylon American flag I received at my naturalization ceremony, 230” x 60”, 2025

Using my own experience of going through a 19-year-long immigration process, “Number of the Day: 7,103” was developed as a learning tool to teach my daughter how to count. The tally marks represent the number of days I spent in the US immigration system before becoming a naturalized citizen. As my daughter counts to 7,103, we explore the meaning of time, being separated from family and what it means to wait for something you really want.

Photos by Deanna Dent and Samantha Chow