Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Stephanie H. Shih’s Ceramics Pull from the Asian-American Pantry

Stephanie H. Shih's ceramic sculptures reflect on her upbringing as a first-generation Asian-American through “the lens of the Asian-American pantry.” The output ranges from hundreds and hundreds of porcelain dumplings to certain imported sauces and oils. With her work, she's also raised funds for communities across the U.S., from displaces indigenous tribes to hurricane victims.

Stephanie H. Shih’s ceramic sculptures reflect on her upbringing as a first-generation Asian-American through “the lens of the Asian-American pantry.” The output ranges from hundreds and hundreds of porcelain dumplings to certain imported sauces and oils. With her work, she’s also raised funds for communities across the U.S., from displaces indigenous tribes to hurricane victims.

“For firstgeneration Asian Americans, the finite collection of imported grocery brands from our youth has become shorthand for parallel childhoods raised by immigrant parents,” she says. “To meet strangers who have memories of eating the same can of fried dace——a small fish preserved with salted black beans——is to discover a sense of belonging. Replicating these kitchen staples in clay immortalizes both the shared memories and the feeling of finding the nonexistent homeland of Asian America.”

See more of her work on her site.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
You may know Czech artist Jan Kaláb, aka "POINT" (used for his sculptures), aka "Cakes" (used for his traditional graffiti), and the founder of street art crew the "DSK". He is credited as one of the first artists to bring urban art into Eastern European countries after the borders opened up in the early 90s. Kaláb's work has seen an evolution since his abstract graffiti writing, where in recent years, he has translated his street art style onto canvas and hand-painted geometric sculptures.
Emmanuelle Moureaux, known for her massive installations using numerals and letters as building blocks, recently crafted a new major work for the 100th anniversary of the Calpis brand. "Universe of Words" at 3331 Arts Chiyoda is the latest in the "100 Colors" series from the artist. Moureaux was last featured on our site here. Photos of this installation are by Daisuke Shima.
Kati Heck's wild paintings, sculptures, textile work, and photographs are featured in a new show at Tim Van Laere Gallery. "All my friends are wild" takes influence from philosopher Donna Haraway, who often explores concepts at the intersection of science and feminism. The show, running through July 6 in the massive space in Antwerp, collects both small and enormous works. Heck was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
These sculptures by Calvin Ma may look like the wooden toys that inspired them, but they are detailed ceramic figures he calls "Homebodies". The artist will debut the latest in this ongoing series at Modern Eden Gallery on November 15th. This isn't just an exploration of the artist's emotion, but also medium, as he incorporates glaze, stain, twine, and resin. Paired with such delicate materials, the figures become playful symbols of the artist's fragility.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List