Imagine this. A family of three sits around their dinner table talking about their days. The father complains of back pains from doing heavy lifting. The mother moans about having to wake up at 4 a.m. every morning to go to work pulling twelve hour shifts. The son sits silently eating his dinner, while his parent’s vehemently tell him that he needs to work hard in school so that can get a job in the medicine, law, or business when he grows up. They’ve already planned out their son’s life as a lawyer, doctor, or an investment banker with an office with panoramic views of the city, nice suits, and most importantly his six figure pay check. Never once did the idea of their son being an artist cross their minds.
Say hello to Andrew Cheng, 22, a self proclaimed student of the arts, and a long time resident of Chinatown. Growing up, Andrew has been blessed with the talent of art. He’s currently finishing up his degree in studio art/wood furniture design at City College of New York. In his spare time he likes to build furniture, and create abstract art pieces with recyclables.
Like the creation of LSD, of brandy, and of Viagra, all great ideas were results of accidents, and Andrew’s road to the arts was no different. Andrew started out his college career following the socially accepted norms he grew up with. He attended Baruch College in pursuit of a business degree, and when he realized that business wasn’t right for him, he transferred to City College to get an architecture degree, “In terms of actually choosing art as a major, I guess you can say it was by accident. Having transferred from Baruch College, I was planning to pursue an architecture degree but school policies and rules wouldn’t allow me. I believe this has turned out for the better since I enjoy designing furniture and products rather than buildings and structures. It’s too much responsibility and pressure,” says Andrew. Ultimately, this ordeal was a blessing in disguise, because after many trial and tribulations it led him to his true calling: the arts.
When asked if Andrew’s parents have ever tried to influence his career choice, he grinned with jovial excitement, and exclaims, “Are you kidding me?!” then more calmly explains, “If your parents are Asian, you can bet your ass they will try to coerce you to pursue a so called more “prestigious” career choice. It might not be your dream, but it will certainly make your family’s peers jealous that their son or daughter is a successful lawyer or doctor. The income you get may allow you to live comfortably and leisurely but are you really happy? You’re basically living your parent’s personal dreams instead of fulfilling your own.”
Many parents from around Chinatown would be upset with the news that their child plans on pursuing a career in the arts, and Andrew’s parents were no different. As Andrew says, “Initially, they were extremely disappointed but later, they figured they couldn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to especially in terms of my future profession. Therefore I feel as if they are SOMEWHAT over the fact that I will never become what they wanted.”
When asked if Andrew has ever felt pressure from outside forces to pursue a different career path he exclaimed “HELL YES! To this day, my mother STILL has a tiny bit of hope that I will change my mind and go into business or law. Just the other day, she suggested I go into law or corporate business if I can’t get anywhere with this furniture thing. They don’t get it. Some people just do not have it in them for this stuff. Perhaps it’s like fighting two wars, one with the rest of the world, i.e. the competition, finding good schools or good jobs, and the other with people who are supposed stand behind you, to encourage and support what you ultimately want to be. I am not saying that’s how ALL Asian families are but that’s how my Chinese parents operate.”
Not only does Andrew get inspiration for his art from around Chinatown, and all over New York City, but everything that crosses his path can be considered inspiration. Being the artist that Andrew is, though he is shy to admit it, “I never consider myself an artist. There is still much to learn. I would consider myself a constant pupil in pursuit of never ending ideas which I strive to create visual and physical manifestations of those thoughts. That’s the beauty of art.”
In the coming year, after Andrew completes his undergraduate studies, he plans on working on his portfolio which is going to be “a collection of eco-friendly, portable, packable furniture where the concept is to have well designed, comfortable yet easily transformable and space saving. With this portfolio,” he says, ” I will apply to graduate school in Sweden for my MA in Furniture and Spatial Design.”
We are all shaped by our families and the communities that we grew up in. Andrew’s story is a living testament that pursuing a career in the arts can lead to a happy life, and can result in earning enough income to live on comfortably.