red plastic bag, 2025

This ceramic sculpture is an homage to the red plastic bag found in NYC’s Chinatown. In Chinese culture, red symbolizes luck and prosperity - these bags were made so everyday commuters could carry a bit of good fortune with them. Though meant to be thrown away, these bags became a recognizable part of Asian-American neighborhoods, symbolizing both utility and cultural identity. By recreating the bag in clay, I preserve something meant to be fleeting, honoring the resilience and beauty found in daily rituals, immigrant labor, and the objects that quietly carry our histories.