Plenty

Plenty, 2023. Barley seeds, chopsticks, resin, ceramic rice bowls and spoon, thread on wooden table; hand embroidery on portrait of Kao Lang, printed on foam board, with wooden frame. Commissioned by Rancho Los Cerritos Museum, Long Beach, CA as part of Then and Now: Rancho Los Cerritos

In the 19th and 20th centuries, and over several generations, the Bixby family owned a wealth of land in southern California, totaling well over 100,000 acres, which they acquired from Mexican land grants. Parts of Long Beach City emerged from these Bixby-owned lands, including Rancho Los Cerritos. In an effort to revive historic photos from the Rancho Los Cerritos Museum archive, I was invited by to create a work of art that would shine light upon the workers that labored upon the 27,000 acres known as Rancho Los Cerritos from the 1870s to 1930.

Draped in traditional Chinese raiment with a proud countenance, Kao Lang poses for a photo (c. 1875) before returning to China in 1875/76, later returning to California in the 1880s. He served as a cook to A.S. Bixby in the early 1870s to 1880s. The original portrait was taken for a carte de visite, photograph cards that were commonly traded among friends and visitors during the Victorian era.

Kao Lang’s portrait hangs above a small table that echoes the traditional altars that are still erected today in many Asian homes, paying homage to deceased loved ones. The modest table further illustrates the humble living quarters of workers who served on the ranch during this time in Long Beach history. Its surface is scarred with the time and toil that marks our own hands. The table was borrowed from my dear friend, Janie, who once lived next door to Llewelyn Bixby IV and his wife Betty.

This installation speaks on the abundance of life and its struggles that coexist at once—within our communities, and sometimes even within our households.

The rice bowls read, “Every year we have leftovers”. Occupying the same space, one bowl’s contents spill over, other bowl filled.

The barley seeds—a crop that was grown at the ranch during this era—and the rice—a staple in the diet and economy of Asian peoples and Asian lands—remind us of that which has been planted by our predecessors, and the privilege that we have in partaking in the harvest that sprouts therefrom. Furthermore, it reminds us that for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. (Luke 12:48). By recognizing our custodial responsibilities, we move toward a greater sense of neighborly love, bound by our lifelines that meander through the lands.

The ripened oranges loom overhead, documenting a memory of my first welcome to Rancho Los Cerritos. I was welcomed by a gentle and beautiful Tom, an exceptionally knowledgable and passionate docent (who, like my father, shares in the love and practice of bonsai). Tom invited me over to the orchard, where loquats pooled our feet while we shared an orange.