“Treasure” Chest
The Coffin Carries More Than Bodies
Motion, Video Editing
The Roman sarcophagus (or stone coffin) is an example of funerary art that dates back two thousand years. The word sarcophagus emerged from Greek roots that roughly translates to the compound phrase, “flesh eating.” A number of examples of ancient Roman sarcophagi now reside in the permanent collection of the RISD Museum. I’ve been puzzled over the public’s lack of physical access to these objects: how can people understand the actual value and embodied meaning of these stone vessels when the public is prevented from touching them—and even from standing too close to their display? The public’s access is channeled instead through an interpretive label, or audio guide, provided by the museum. I sense people lose interest quickly and quickly leave the artwork behind. I suspect, however, that there may be others like me who are curious to know what’s inside these closed containers. In Treasure Chest, I dissect a sarcophagus from its surface inward, seeking to expose its heart and share it with others. My goal is to offer a deeper, decidedly tactile experience that exposes the interiority of these ancient funerary objects and reframes public engagement with their form and purpose through a digital place.
It was a blast that Zengqi and I had the opportunity to collaborate on the identity system for this year’s Risd Grad Show. The identity means celebrating the multidisciplinary and inclusivity between each major while the students at risd constantly cross the boundary between mediums, materials, and textures to apply to their works.
The system applies to various platforms, including
a website, various-sized posters and banners, print ads, digital ads, and social media.
View full Grad Thesis Students work digitally at:
https://publications.risdmuseum.org/grad-show-2022
The system applies to various platforms, including
a website, various-sized posters and banners, print ads, digital ads, and social media.
View full Grad Thesis Students work digitally at:
https://publications.risdmuseum.org/grad-show-2022
Center for Primal Matters
A Speaker Series
Web, Speculative Design, Curation
The Center for Primal Matter promotes active explorations of material culture, and focuses on promoting kinship with chemical elements.
Various characters come to life in this serious yet playful interpretation. Whether or not you have an affinity for chemistry, you likely studied the subject in school. But what happens if the periodic table is re-examined? Can it become a magical tableau? The 118 elements sit quietly on the table—and they become simultaneously mysterious and charming with the realization that everything, including human bodies, is made of them.
Everything we touch, eat, and use comes from the 118 chemical elements found in the periodic table, yet we rarely stop to consider and appreciate their existence. The Center for Primal Matter creates an environment where these elements expand beyond their abstracted two-dimensional representation in an array. The project gives elements a voice; I asked each element to be a collaborator, to represent themselves in a three-dimensional way. As a curator, I invited them to the stage as guest speakers for a limited series of broadcasts—Primal Matters; I also organized a few panel discussions to give opportunities to hear their voices.
Visit us at: centerforprimalmatter.org
Various characters come to life in this serious yet playful interpretation. Whether or not you have an affinity for chemistry, you likely studied the subject in school. But what happens if the periodic table is re-examined? Can it become a magical tableau? The 118 elements sit quietly on the table—and they become simultaneously mysterious and charming with the realization that everything, including human bodies, is made of them.
Everything we touch, eat, and use comes from the 118 chemical elements found in the periodic table, yet we rarely stop to consider and appreciate their existence. The Center for Primal Matter creates an environment where these elements expand beyond their abstracted two-dimensional representation in an array. The project gives elements a voice; I asked each element to be a collaborator, to represent themselves in a three-dimensional way. As a curator, I invited them to the stage as guest speakers for a limited series of broadcasts—Primal Matters; I also organized a few panel discussions to give opportunities to hear their voices.
Visit us at: centerforprimalmatter.org
Once Upon A Time
Collaborator: Zengqi Guo’ MFA 22 ︎︎︎
Credits: Design guidance under Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Sleboda;
Photography by Zeyuan Ren’ MFA 23 ︎︎︎
Credits: Design guidance under Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Sleboda;
Photography by Zeyuan Ren’ MFA 23 ︎︎︎
Type Design, Publication Design, Posters
Typeface 03: Empathy
Once Upon a Time is a conventional story opening, a stock phrase that suggests a fairy tale ending even as it begins a new narrative. The publication I conceived, designed, and produced with Zengqi Guo included facts and fiction about our shared experience in the Chihuahuan Desert during the summer of 2021. Our goal was to reveal the region’s magic, mystery, and inspiration while sharing a holistic understanding of the desert through documentation, writing, and experimental typefaces.
Most humans already perceive the desert as an open and wild environment. But many may not necessarily realize how complex the desert is and how many lives converge within its boundaries. Only by slowing down and pursuing closer engagement with the desert can we understand its richness and vitality. As I walked deeper into the Chihuahuan Desert, it showed me more of its personality and versatility. The revelation reshaped my previous impression of what a desert was—and what it could be. The desert was no longer the background to human activity or an area to pass through on a journey to somewhere else. Instead, I perceived the possibility of an intimate relationship with the desert and increasing knowledge of its qualities. The more attention I was able to bring to my encounters with the region, the more I was convinced of the latent power of this incredibly vibrant landscape.
The desert became a place of potential, where many
tales could begin. The experimental typefaces that were inspired by the desert became the language for its own narrative.
Most humans already perceive the desert as an open and wild environment. But many may not necessarily realize how complex the desert is and how many lives converge within its boundaries. Only by slowing down and pursuing closer engagement with the desert can we understand its richness and vitality. As I walked deeper into the Chihuahuan Desert, it showed me more of its personality and versatility. The revelation reshaped my previous impression of what a desert was—and what it could be. The desert was no longer the background to human activity or an area to pass through on a journey to somewhere else. Instead, I perceived the possibility of an intimate relationship with the desert and increasing knowledge of its qualities. The more attention I was able to bring to my encounters with the region, the more I was convinced of the latent power of this incredibly vibrant landscape.
The desert became a place of potential, where many
tales could begin. The experimental typefaces that were inspired by the desert became the language for its own narrative.