"Roots" is a project about surrendering yourself to ignorance in order to cohabitate in the same social environment despite cultural differences and language barriers.
The Planning
From the start of my journey, I had set out to understand and learn about my "Roots." I wanted this personal connection to be my gateway to creating an authentic traditional Chinese design. I strived to educate my audience on this gap between cultures. Through this discovery of identifying my roots, I hope to dissect, analyze and understand traditions that I have grown used to but never truly understood. Starting with myself, I hope to surrender myself to ignorance and, in the process, invite my audience to do so as well.
The Story
Chinese traditional medicine is one of China's many cultural emblems but also something that was forced on me as a child to use and smell in the form of essential oil. These posters are conversations between my mother and me. I am in black ink; she is in white with red as emphasis. I said, "I hate it," referring to Coriander. And she's like, "well, if you hate it, it probably means your body needs it more." Or "what could your mother possibly do to harm you?" So finally, I talk back in small black text, "it smells like dirty, oily hair.
The Interactive
Corriander Zine
The book "Materia Medica" is the cornerstone of Chinese Traditional Medicine. I started dissecting this book by researching my least favorite herb, the Corriander. An informational zine was created at last, with the content color-coded like the posters, where black is the source material while red is my interpretation or annotations.
Essential Oil Personal Ranking
The next step I took was to make an essential oil ranking. This ranking is composed of three layers of varied opacities. The first layer is a sketch of the medicine and what I smell, the second is its Chinese name, and the third is its history and function. The audience must flip through the more transparent information to understand its history and functionality.
Sketches
Ranking Outline
During the exhibition of "Roots," I invited my audience to take a smell of a herb and write down associations of what they smell. There were ten jars, ordered from my least favorite to my favorite, just like the ranking hung above it. The "Jar of Smells" showcased that even when our opinions differ, we can coexist in space and be respectful of our differences.
The Installation
Paper-Making
At the center of my exhibition is an installation of patterns on polyester satin and herb paper strung from the ceiling. I immerse my audience in the world of Chinese traditional medicine with smell by making the installation tactile and visual. I found the beauty in this tradition through making these elements and learned to appreciate what I once hated.
