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    • Broadsheet: Where are you from? exhibition at Blak Dot Gallery
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    • Naomi Dawber
    • Elsie El-Asmar
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    • Kwame Asumadu
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    • Tobias Mambwe
    • Rosa Solomon
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    • Zev Tropp
    • Angela Serrano
    • Bryan Tampubolon
    • Anuran de Silva
    • Shaye Gregan
    • Kalida Edwards
    • Matisse Laida
    • Rosie Komang-Clynes
    • Sarah Asumadu
    • Nadia Hanaan
    • Yeyint Aung
    • Amber Prado-Richardson
    • Celina Lazarus
    • Rashida Dungarwalla
    • Kai Isaiah Jamal
  • Video: Where are you from? by Indoor Fountains
  • Submit
Where are you from?
  • SHOP
  • About
  • Press
    • Broadsheet: Where are you from? exhibition at Blak Dot Gallery
  • Launch Gallery
  • Storyboard
  • Read
    • Naomi Dawber
    • Elsie El-Asmar
    • Soumia Bella
    • Jackson Hookway
    • Darcy Justice-Allen
    • Kwame Asumadu
    • Ciara Dunne
    • Tobias Mambwe
    • Rosa Solomon
    • Joshua Lynch
    • Tara Suamba
    • Terina Skudder
    • Bahar Sayed
    • Shezaana Sadikool
    • Jacob Coppedge
    • Mei Leong
    • Chanel Paulus
    • Lakyn Tarai
    • Flavia Lazarus
    • Peo Michie
    • Maya King
    • Stella Justice-Allen
    • Zev Tropp
    • Angela Serrano
    • Bryan Tampubolon
    • Anuran de Silva
    • Shaye Gregan
    • Kalida Edwards
    • Matisse Laida
    • Rosie Komang-Clynes
    • Sarah Asumadu
    • Nadia Hanaan
    • Yeyint Aung
    • Amber Prado-Richardson
    • Celina Lazarus
    • Rashida Dungarwalla
    • Kai Isaiah Jamal
  • Video: Where are you from? by Indoor Fountains
  • Submit

Bryan Tampubolon

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‘Where are you from?’ Is this a question of geography or identity? Shit, I don't know. I'm from here I guess, but why would someone ask me this unless it was obvious that I'm not from here? Am I not from here? No, surely they don't think that. I reckon I act like I'm from here. Do I look like I'm not from here?

I guess I was born overseas and my parents lived their entire lives overseas until we moved to Australia, but that's where my parents are from. Not me. What's the context behind this question again? I mean, I am a racial minority, so maybe they want to know what my ethnic makeup is? Half-Chinese. Half-Indonesian.

I don't really feel connected to the geographic China and I also don't really know much of Chinese culture to have it influence my identity. Indonesia:  I haven't lived there much and I only visit for Ramadan. I'm not Muslim though, only some of my family are; I feel like such an outsider. How am I supposed to explain this simply but with nuance? I just want to drink and socialise without having my identity being questioned like this. I'm from here but also not from here? This is so stressful.

‘Where are you from?’ My house.

 
 

@whereareyoufrom__