Traditional Chinese Bride

The bride is in an extravagant traditional Chinese wedding dress for women. In western and modern culture, white has been the traditional color for the brides to wear. However, red symbolizes good luck in Asian culture, which is why the brides would wear the bright color. Marriage is an important aspect of growing up, and it is also commonly expected of a couple before they officially start a family together. The idea to proclaim your love for one each other in front of your friends and family is a way to bring both sides of the couple’s families together. My mother and my father’s story is a bit different. When my parents met, they were sure they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. After a couple month of meeting each other, my mother was pregnant with my older sister. While being overwhelmed with becoming new parents, and working to make money to sustain their growing family, the idea of marriage seems intangible. The responsibilities of having to work and take care of a newborn child made it impossible to have enough time and motivation to have a wedding. Although I know my mother wished she had the traditional wedding, she claims that having her family together is enough for her. However, it makes me consider the things my parents had given up to raise my siblings and I. They had never blame us for the things that they were not able to do such as getting married or travel whenever they wanted. I wonder what my mother would have looked like if she were to wear the traditional red wedding dress.

Progress Awaits: The LGBTQ community

The LGBTQ community has been struggling to make steady progress throughout the years with the growing acceptance within the American society. However, for the progress of the acceptance of the LGBTQ, there need to be changes. These changes lie within our perspectives and approach for the normalcy of the community. In order to create changes, we must think...

Shrine of the Red Hot Sister

Red sandcastles and children   Close up (Dave's Story) This is the shrine dedicated to Dave's red hot sisters who have enabled him to be the 'Prince of Princes". This sister's wisdom, humility and beauty have guided and empowered him to take on the world. Though his heart is gentle he has learned to push forward in the world with smiles...

Grand Father Buddha

Grand father Buddha is shown sitting on a stump. He has the time now to contemplate the world. The pipe becomes a sign of meditation but also a sign of danger and death. At any moment his life may go up in smoke. If one meditates for too long within the sweet smell of tobacco , their lungs will blacken in time. With wisdom comes foolishness....

Santa and the Two Vases

Santa arrives with his sack. This is a shrine about vessels and joy. A vessel is mother. It is place we go to be nurtured and replenished. We generally are rewarded with gifts and joy from both Santa's sack and mother's vessels. Ông già Noel và hai chiếc bình ông già Noel phía sau tấm quà của ông già Noel, ông già Noel đến với bao của ông. Đây...

Three Buddha Statues That Reflects Three Different Problems

The similarity between these three statues is that they are illustrating Buddha. These statues all have a different color and concept to their own interpretation on how to portray Buddha. The color chosen for these statue reminds me of my siblings and I. My brother reminds of the red one due to his easily triggered personality. One of his faults lies in...

Big Lots Budda

Big Lots Buddha: Big Lots Buddha ôm lấy thế giới thặng dư. Thặng dư biểu thị cả sự giàu có và kỳ vọng chưa hoàn thành. Dư thừa của chúng tôi là lợi nhuận của bạn. Nếu không có dư thừa, chúng tôi sẽ không có cọc để tái chế hoặc tìm cách sử dụng và ý nghĩa mới cho những thứ trong cuộc...

Fanning Away the Outside Noises

The statue that reflects the relationships between a husband and his wife What may seem like a lover's quarrel is instead a tender moment between a husband and his beloved wife. Although they face away from each other with piercing gazes, their vision eventually meet and so does the future that they see in the distance. The saying “words coming...

Three Faces

There is a Japanese proverb that regards to a person’s identity. That saying goes like this, humans have three faces, which means that the first face is what you show to strangers that you come across. The second face is what you show to those you love such as your close family and friends. The third face is what you show only to yourself. This...

Shrine of the Four Eyes

This shrine honors not only the all knowing concept of the "third eye", but also the concept of eyes on the back of my head. Surveillance cameras gives us knowledge. It centers us in place surrounded by the knowledge of inside and outside of our world. The glass swirls remind us that our sense of identity is circular. We swirl in the ego trying...

Shrine of the Flower Boy and the Chinese Vase

      The Shrine of the Flower Boy and the Chinese Vase is about the joining of the innocence of boys and the recognition that the Flower vase is a vessel on love and seduction. The Boy is perched on the vase like a mother holding up her son as a gift to the gods. He is still young enough to play in her fertility and bath in her...