Life’s momentous journeys are often marked by objects, whether photographs and other mementos, good luck charms, or even the ideal handbag or backpack. That’s especially true when people uproot and move to a new country. Migrants may travel with minimal possessions, but often there is a sentimental item in the mix, something to remind them of home. Two artists—Vivian Chiu of Richmond, Virginia, and Cassandra Mayela of New York City—have crafted complex and moving works from vestiges of the migrant experience. ­

—The Editors