Portfolio

Dharma Drum Retreat Center

I was a resident designer and librarian at Dharma Drum Retreat Center from September of 2011 to August 2013. During my time there, I completed several design projects for DDRC.

1. I designed the organization identity system for the center.

2. Calligraphy Project: One of DDRC’s Chan Masters created a large Chinese calligraphy of the recitation for meals; I designed the English-language version to match with Chinese calligraphy.

3. I redesigned the DDRC Library (door sign, interior space, checkout and label system, and SOP Handbook.)

4. I designed event posters.

5. I redesigned the website.

Dharma Drum Retreat Center

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A Cup of White Tea

Inspired by the eastern view on “white,” this little zine uses the haiku of the famous Japanese poet Kobayashi Isaa and the photos I took to represent my idea of “white.”

Born in 1763, Kobayashi is regarded as one of the four haiku masters in Japan. His haiku are often about everyday life. I use the most basic need for human—food (rice and noodle) and the basic eastern tableware (cup, bowl, chopsticks, & spoon) as the theme. By combing the images and the selected haiku, I tell the story of “white.” The title of this zine is called “A Cup of White Tea” because Kobayashi’s name Issa means “a cup of tea.” “White” represents empty and void, but that doesn’t mean lifeless. It means full of energy and imagination. An empty bowl is full of life because it could be filled with anything. The possibility of “white” is endless.

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Sundara

I designed the logo and the packages for the cosmetic company “Sundara.”

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The Bopomofo Project 注音字型

The Bopomofo Project: Typefaces for Taiwan is about designing new fonts for the Chinese alphabet Bopomofo. Bopomofo is the official phonetic system for transcribing all the Chinese languages in Taiwan. Consisting of thirty-seven letters and four tone marks, it can transcribe all possible sounds in Mandarin, as well as transcribing Taiwanese, Hakka and the other Chinese dialects. This system is widely used both as an educational tool and the computer input method for Chinese in Taiwan. Interestingly, there is only one typeface for the Bopomofo in wide circulation. Unlike the wide variety of Western display and text typefaces, in Taiwan there is only this one font with its solitary mood and personality. That one font is by its nature limited in its ability to represent the varied content that it is used to express.

My project is to design new display and text typefaces for the Bopomofo so that there can be a wider variety of options for expression available to graphic designers and other design professionals who work with type. I also want to tell my family’s stories with these new fonts and inspire other Taiwanese designers to design more Bopomofo typefaces. Finally I also want to use my fonts to promote the Taiwanese language and introduce the Bopomofo to a worldwide audience.

This is my MFADT Thesis Project at Parsons. You can read more about this project here.

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The Olinda Project

The Olinda Project is a conceptual art project inspired by the novel “Invisible Cities.” The novel is by Italian writer Italo Calvino and explores imagination and the imaginable through the descriptions of cities by the explorer Marco Polo. The book is framed as a conversation between Kublai Khan and Polo.

As an MFADT Thesis student at Parsons, I was asked to pick one city from 55 cities in the book as my inspirations and use different media and themes to interpret my stories. The city I choose is called Olinda. Calvino writes, “all the Olindas… have blossomed one from the other; and within this innermost circle there are always blossoming…”

The first part I had to use papers to create something inspired by the city. I made a paper flower to represent Olinda. There are 3 circles because Olinda sounds like 3 zeros (O-as zero in English, LIN-as zero in Chinese, and DA as zero in short Morse Code.)

The second part I had to use materials other than papers to create something physical. I made an origami lotus flower with cellophane. The lotus is there, but not really. It’s in my mind, or is it?

The third part I had to make a product. I decided to “sell” the “seeds” of Olindas. People can grow their own Olindas at home.

The forth part we had to make a video. I decided to turn o-o-o into o-oo (o infinity).
The O and Olindas just keep growing.

The fifth part I made an “invisible” scroll book inspired by the title and the theme of the book.

In the end, it’s just like Olinda. It’s there, but not really…

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Movable Type Cube 活字方塊

Movable Type Cube is a Rubik’s Cube stamp featuring Chinese characters that combine to form verses from a traditional children’s poem. I laser-etched the characters from wood and affixed them to the cube.

Chinese has a long history with the printing. In 105 AD, Cai Lun invented the paper. In 200 AD, the Chinese invention of Woodblock printing produced the world’s first print culture. In 1040, Bi Sheng invented the first known movable type technology. Therefore, I want to use a Chinese text for my cube. The text I used for my cube is called “Three Character Classic.” It is a traditional Chinese text that teaches young children to be a good person in the society. The text is written in triplets of characters for easy memorization, which is perfect for the cube since the cube is 3 by 3 on every side. The text is written by Wang Yinglin during the Song Dynasty, so I used a font called “Song,” which is correspond to the Song Dynasty when a distinctive printed style of regular script was developed.

This project was for a class called “Art for the Internet” at Parsons. You can read more about the project here.

The project is also featured at Make Magazine blog and many other sites.

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New York Taiko Aiko Kai

In 2008 I joined the New York Taiko Aiko Kai to play taiko (Japanese drumming). The group promotes Japanese culture and can be seen in many Japanese or Asian culture events. I designed the organization identity system for the group, and also the happi (the traditional Japanese costume for playing taiko.)

You can visit the group blog here.

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Printmaking Art Journal

Printmaking Art Journal is a yearly academic journal published by Taiwan Society of Printmaking.

I was the Executive Editor and Art Designer for the journal. I edited the research essays and designed the cover, the typography, and the layout for the journal.

ISBN 978-986-813-382-2

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Printmaking 1017 Exhibition

Printmaking 1017: 36th Anniversary of Evergreen Graphic Art Association + Gravure Dix-sept Invitational Exhibition & Symposium was held at Chung Shan National Gallery of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. I was the Art Director and I designed the logo, the poster, the banners, the invitation card, the catalogue, and the exhibition space for the event.

ISBN 978-986-81338-1-5

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MIMB

MIMB: Monumental Ideas in Miniature Books is a world traveling exhibition about artists’ books. The Taiwan exhibition is held at the Art Museum of National Taiwan University of Arts. As the Art Director, I designed the logo, the posters, the banners, the invitation card, and the catalogue of the exhibition for the event.

ISBN 978-986-02-4492-2

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60s in Paris Exhibition

Exhibition of Taiwan Artists during the 60s was held at Chung Shan National Gallery of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. I was the Art Director and I designed the logo, the poster, the banners, the invitation card, the catalogue, and the exhibition space for the event.

ISBN 978-986-85436-0-7

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