For Which I Stand

I was born in Minnesota but both my parents are originally from Hong Kong. Having grown up in the pre-dominantly white suburbs of upstate New York, I was compelled to explore the meaning of heritage by traveling to Jingdezhen, China. There I studied Chinese ceramics and made the abrupt realization that I am too American to be Chinese.

This work is a reflection of my desire to be mainstream American but through Asian imagery and form. Each doll has the body of a Geisha (representing ambiguous asian influence) while the head is replaced with an American food; a hotdog, hoagie, steak, french fry. The negative space created within a cluster of ceramic fortune cookies forms the stars.