Persimmon Dreams

In the fall of 2023, I began researching about persimmons. Not only were they appropriate for the season, but they reminded me of my mom. Persimmons are one of her favorite fruits and I never really appreciated them until I made this series. During persimmon season, Koreans say to “always leave some for the magpies.” I really admired that relationship and found it curious that the perception of magpies was much different in Montana. Here, the birds are considered a nuisance while in Korea they are auspicious bringers of good news. Either way, those are histories I have no experience with, so I sought to form my own relationship with the fruit. I mostly cooked with them–making persimmon bread, pie, jam, and I even learned how to dry them. I sent some to my mom and shared them with my friends.

This fall time inspiration turned into a year long obsession culminating as the Persimmon Dreams series. I consider my relationship to the world through the lens of persimmons. It’s what is feels like to be wrapped up in a persimmon laden dream.