My work has always been figurative, inspired by antique Asian figures. Initially, I used female images, combining traditional figures with contemporary signs, but now the more recent work includes both male and female as the image base. In the same way that, as an Asian–American, I have come from one culture and live in another, so my work has a traditional source but discusses contemporary issues.

Part of my interest in the figure comes from my extensive experience as a New York fashion designer. As a result of my thorough understanding of clothing, many of my sculptures show very detailed garments and distinctive textile patterning.

In a recent body of work, “Invisible People”, I am motivated by experiences from my own life, focusing on the many ordinary people who drift by unobserved. The titles are instructive: Plain Jane and Shrinking Violet are catch phrases for underdogs and imply anonymity. By using glass components, I can create figures with almost intangible features and portray people who essentially have no faces, no expressions, and no outward manifestation of interior feeling. The material is able to mimic this condition perfectly; transparent glass for apparently transparent lives. Another aspect of this series is how office/corporate work is dehumanizing, leaving people in a similarly anonymous place. I have even portrayed three office workers, “Diva”, “Commando” and “Chameleon” who, although well dressed and not unnoticed in that respect, ironically remain largely ignored by the powers that be in corporate culture.

In another recent body of work, “Big Baby”, I have created a series of ceramic sculptures that reflect the mannerisms and emotions of males I have known and observed my entire life. The traditional aspect of the figurative image is disarming because the intent is much more complex and critical, as the work addresses contemporary issues such as aggression and hostility. The intent is expressed in the following question: Have you ever looked at men and wondered why they act and react the way they do? It seems as if our society encourages aggressive, self-centered masculine behavior and my response is to reflect that aggression. The contradiction of the title of the series, using the word baby to describe an adult, is crucial in setting the tone of the series and other titles, Burp, Vlad and Pugilist all undermine the male position with nomenclature that is comic and boorish.