Transition Space: Benjie Heu
July 1 - August 17, 2025

Benjie Heu uses simple but richly textured surfaces on his ceramic works to easily transform relatable and yet often overlooked anxieties of everyday life. In addition, the frailty of our bodies, the specter of chemical dependency, religious uncertainty and family dynamics create obstacles to be faced by the viewer.

Artist Statement
"Ceramics and drawing are an immediate and accessible format that I enjoy. Illustrated objects communicate much like a multiple-panel sequence in a graphic novel. Translating oral narrative into visual narrative not only reveals the significance of the story but it also teaches me about myself and extends that revealing device to the viewer. I prefer simple forms with line carving and mark making because of their concise nature, allowing time to sit still or zigzag through a composition. I employ simple but richly textured surfaces to transform easily relatable and often overlooked anxieties in everyday life - the frailty of our bodies, the specter of chemical dependency, religious uncertainty, family dynamics - into figures or obstacles to be faced by the viewer. The most outlandish adventures are accounted with an eye fixed on the bare essentials. Battles against time, against the obstacles that prevent the fulfillment of desire, or the repossession of something cherished but lost are themes that provoke me. Revealing truth and humor in the face of horror and the seemingly absurd is my answer."

Hue is Professor of Ceramics in the Department of Art + Design at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO. He earned his MFA in Ceramics from Ohio University a post Bachelors from the University of Massachussetts, Dartmouth, and his BFA from the University of Montevallo, AL. He also has a website at benjieceramics.art.