Sheridan Liew, Harvard University
Ballpoint pen, collage, and embroidery thread on atlas paper with digital editing in Procreate; 8.5 x 11 in.
From the artist: This is my grandfather’s portrait, representing his immigration from China to Canada. My grandpa, or 公公 (gōng gōng) as I called him, passed away this year at 90 years old after a long battle with cancer. My family recorded interviews with him about his life—this piece is my response to hearing his story.
My grandpa left his village in southern China, boarded a ship in Hong Kong, and arrived in San Francisco in January 1957 as a “paper son.” He traveled by bus to Vancouver, then by train to Montreal. There, he worked tirelessly in Chinatown kitchens and eventually opened his own restaurant, bought a house, and built a family.
I drew my grandfather as I knew him, shaped by these experiences. The collaged vintage stamps and passport represent his journey. I included a napkin with the birds he loved to draw. His route is mapped in red embroidery thread, invoking the red string of fate from Chinese mythology and the ties to his family that he carried throughout his life and that I carry now.