Where Do I Come From - Sculpture

"This piece is hand built in stoneware and fired in cone 10 reduction. After forming the oversized fortune cookie, I carved several layers of text into the surface. Some words were scratched away, while others were softened or obscured through repeated layers of iron oxide wash.

The writing includes languages I can read, write, speak, or have studied, including Chinese, English, Japanese, and French. None of them feel completely mine. I came to Canada when I was young, so my relationship with Chinese became fractured, while my English still carries the feeling of being learned rather than inherited. The piece reflects this in between space, where language becomes both a tool for belonging and a reminder of distance.

For me, this also connects to queerness. Queer identity often exists in translation, between what can be said, what has to be hidden, and what is misunderstood by others. The surface of the fortune cookie holds language, but it does not fully reveal itself. It becomes a body marked by cultural displacement, partial belonging, and the ongoing search for where I come from."

Reduction fired stoneware, iron oxide wash
Approx. 20 x 15 x 14 cm

Christopher He is a mixed-media artist living in Waterloo. Inspired by personal experience, self-identity, and cultural traditions, He's work explores cultural diversity through playful yet deeply meaningful forms. He balances nostalgia and storytelling in his ceramics, transforming everyday objects into reflections of heritage and identity.