Chuko-Bones: Memory in Play (2020)

Inspired by the nomadic traditions of Central Asia, this work transforms cow bones into symbols of life, death, and balance. Chuko turns a traditional Kyrgyz game into a meditation on cultural loss in the age of globalization. Each bone, a fragment of enduring cultural–ecological memory, becomes a bridge linking past, present, and future. Together, they remind us that humans cannot exist apart from the natural world. A thousand bones serve as a warning: mass consumption and standardization erase traditions, severing humanity’s vital connection to the natural world and collective memory. Play, ritual, and memory converge, illustrating that preserving heritage and harmony with the environment is a responsibility we inherit, not a gift.