The Arrow's "Museum of Me"

Benjamin "Benjie" Heu is a professor of ceramics in the art and design department. Creativity and artistry have always been a part of Heu's life, but working with clay became the passion from which he built his career. Here, he explains the significance of three items that are important to him and the stories behind them. (Photo by Jasmine Jones)

Heu adopted Mocha from the Humane Society in July 2020 and now does everything with her. Described as a silly, happy and ridiculous dog, Heu said Mocha enjoys long walks and burning off her endless energy. "She makes me very happy and makes everything I do very interesting," Heu said. "The dog needs me, and I need her." As a rescue dog, Mocha's breed was unknown until Heu had a DNA test performed and discovered she was approximately one-third pit bull terrier, one-third beagle and a mix of four other breeds. "Her tongue hangs out, and she does that a lot. We took her to the vet and learned she was missing three teeth," Heu said. "We don't know what happened to this girl [in the past], but now, we've got her." (Photo by Jasmine Jones)

Both the coffee cup and espresso shot cup Heu uses on a daily basis remind him of his graduate ceramics professor, Brad Schwieger, and the time he spent at Ohio University where Heu earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in ceramics. "It reminds me of him, his teachings and his personality. [It reminds me of] the people I was with and the kiln where it was made. I picture all of it. It really connects me," Heu said. The coffee cup was a gift made by Schwieger, but Heu said it was not a "big-deal-sort-of gift." Meanwhile, the espresso shot cup was made by Heu during a two-week residency at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine. At the residency, students constructed their own wood kiln for firing their ceramics. (Photo by Jasmine Jones)

Heu's third item and current clay project is described as "a little kid trying to be cute but is actually a monster." The work-in-progress is part of a series Heu is completing for future ceramics exhibitions and conferences. Heu plans on inscribing "tattoo-like" illustrations on the creature's face to represent its story. "It's been a slow build to this. There used to be a lot of personal narratives [in my work], such as, 'Here's what Benjie's doing' to [now] 'Here's a story of how human beings interact,'" Heu said.The series is meant to focus on American culture and cultural relationships, centering "not on the hero's journey, but on human nature's journey." Heu hopes to finish the piece by the end of the semester, along with the other pieces he's working on in his home studio.  (Photo by Jasmine Jones)