Growing up in the US, I didn’t always feel culturally connected to my Taiwanese heritage. My parents did their best to show my sister and I, but when my language proficiency started to decline, the thing that kept me tied to my heritage was my parents and food.

As I grew older, my desire to learn more about my culture grew stronger, and I started expressing it in ways I couldn’t with words, through cooking, pottery, and film. From working in restaurants to making wheel-thrown dinnerware, and sharing recipes and short films online, it continues to motivate and inspire me as an artist. Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Studio Art, I look for any opportunity to combine my interests in food, art, and storytelling.

My name in Mandarin is 賀禮 (Hèlǐ), which means gift. I want to live by my name and give to others whenever possible. I hope that through my passions, I can share what I’ve learned and bring people together the way my parents taught me, through food, through art, and through stories.