Hannah Jun Langer

A lot of my pieces are based on fictional and non-fictional stories. Through these pieces from both Chinese culture and Asian American narratives it becomes possible to learn more about how my own experience and identity fits into the wider Asian American community. Growing up I heard the folktale of the Chinese zodiac in school and felt a connection to it because it made me closer to my culture, even if I did not fully understand it. Now looking back at these memories, I have become fascinated by one specific element of the tale. In one version the rat does not wake up the cat. This left the cat out of the race, so now it is forever not included in the Chinese zodiac. After rereading it I feel like the cat represents me, because even though my personal history begins in China, I am divided from my roots by geography and a lack of certain cultural experiences. This idea started my exploration in clay, as I worked to form plaster molds to create slip cast sculptures of multiple cats. Each cat is decorated in a unique way to emphasize that even if we start in the same place in life it does not mean we will continue on that same path as different life experiences can greatly alter who we are. This idea of what is distinctly a part of our nature versus what we have gotten nurtured into us has been something that I think about a lot as I reflect on who I have become.

Through carving the appearance of these cats is altered and each starts to become its own individual piece. These cats can be viewed as a metaphor for the children who were adopted from China over the past 30 or more years as a result of China’s One Child Policy. I am one of those children. Creating multiple cats highlights my story, and the story of others who were adopted into western homes and were ripped away from one culture and forced to adapt to the cultural practices of another one when they were babies. In many of the pieces, holes are created as a window into the cats’ bodies. These holes allow the viewer to look into a space that otherwise would not be viewed, which speaks to what is significant about being adopted. You are not able to outwardly tell whether or not someone is adopted, which means it is in the hands of the adoptee of whether or not they want to share this aspect of their lives. These holes also highlight how much further adoptees have to look into themselves as they learn to grapple with the difference that their cultural upbringing and their cultural roots have. It is only by looking beyond the surface of a person’s outward appearance that it becomes possible to truly understand them. The holes within some of the cats make this process easier.

The cats also toe the line between my cultural roots and my cultural upbringing as I used patterns and symbols that brought to mind aspects of where I am from. A large flower can be found on some of the cats. This simple line drawing is meant to represent a peony which is significant because it is the national flower of China, as this flower has been cultivated in China for generations. Many of the designs, like the piping work, dot patterns, and line work, bring to mind the idea of the ocean as the shapes mimic textures that resemble both corals and water. Growing up in Massachusetts, also known as the Bay State, I grew up around the ocean. My house was never more than a few miles away from the beach, and I can remember driving by the ocean countless times as my family ran errands around town. The ocean has always been an important part of the history of where I grew up as it provided so much industry for the surrounding towns. This means that the infrastructure of the area was directly formed from the ocean. This idea of the ocean is enough for me to recognize my childhood as it was something that I always saw. 

Mass production is what China is known for as so many machine-made products are manufactured in China. Though these cats are each assembled and decorated by hand, by using the process of slipping casting I am bringing in a distinct aspect of mass production to the work. People from the same culture often share a similar appearance, for example, I share the dark black hair and almond shaped eyes that my ancestors have. Through mass production I am able to create cats with identical features that I can then alter through decorations. This highlights that no matter how much you try to alter your foundation you will never be able to get away from it as this part of your identity will always be a part of you -- the layers of decorations can never fully hide what was originally there.