When I first saw her work, I was blown away. These red threads intertwined with each other and hung in the room, like veins spreading through the body, with a tenacious vitality.

blue, red, yellow, gray

This illustration project, titled "the Octopus," aims to explore the intricate dynamics of the relationship between mothers and children in East Asian fami- lies. Drawing inspiration from documentaries and personal perceptions of octopuses, the project seeks to symbolize mothers with the intelligence, control, and nurturing qualities associated with octopuses.

Project Objectives:

Through illustrative artworks, the project intends to showcase the emotional bond between mothers and children within the context of East Asian culture. It aims to delve into the depth and complexity of maternal love, while also examining cultural norms and stereotypes surrounding motherhood in modern society.

Project Execution:

1. Creative Process: The project will utilize illustration techniques to merge the imagery of octopuses and mothers, experimenting with various methods and media to achieve a cohesive visual narrative.

2. Research Support: Cultural background research and targeted surveys will be conducted to inform the understanding and portrayal of East Asian family dynamics.

3. Target Audience: Primarily targeting mothers and children in East Asian households, the project's exhibition will be positioned in medical facility lobbies or family-oriented exhibitions.

4. Artwork Presentation: The artwork will be displayed in clean, spacious, and well-lit environments to enhance viewer engagement and appreciation.

5. Promotional Efforts: Handcrafted items or promotional materials such as business cards will be developed to increase project visibility and reach.

Project Expectations:

The project aims to provoke thoughtful reflection and resonance among viewers regarding the unique and nuanced aspects of mother-child relationships in East Asian culture. Through this exploration, it hopes to foster a deeper understanding of familial bonds and maternal love.

or give too much room for thought.

I asked ChatGPT for the following description of East Asian mothers and female octopus:

Notably, octopuses and tigers had the most choices when

it came to describing what animals their mothers were like.

I have seen this work with my own eyes, and it has a sense of conviction that shocked me. Maybe I can try to make some models or devices to combine with illustrations, which will enrich the project even more.

Mireille, after listening to my thoughts, asked me a few questions

2. How to use the structure of the work to guide the audience to understand the work?

3. How can the audience participate in the work?

Because this sub-pattern looks relatively symmetrical, and it can be seen that although the octopus's hand only draws two plates on the way, it is associated with it reaching out into a hugging posture holding the baby, giving the audience a certain space for imagination, but at the same time, I also found that from the perspective of visual appreciation, there is not much information conveyed to the audience, Next, we will think about how to use symbolic visual language to make the viewer empathize

Anyway, Mireille always emphasized during this phase that less is more, and she hoped that I would be able to grasp the point more clearly and express it accurately to the audience, because after all, it is a work for the general public. I also need to learn to pick and choose in my future works, rather than just keep adding elements to enrich the theme and meaning blindly

there a culture or history behind it?

I thought of Confucianism, influential for centuries in East Asia, shapes familial dynamics. Parents sacrificially devote them-

selves to their children's well-being, viewing them as extensions of their own lives, and expect obedience in return for their

efforts.

In such family dynamics, where the mother is the leader, any defiance from children is deemed as disobedience, which goes against the core value of filial piety, highly esteemed in East Asian households. Under this atmosphere, children often feel immense pressure.

2. The octopus has nine brains, and the three hearts symbolize wisdom.

3. The octopus holding her eggs sym- bolizes a human mother holding her child

If I need to print my work, I should make an appointment with a professional printer at the school

The reason for the several displays in Sketches is that I wanted to have a certain sense of space around the work, which would look too flat if it was directly attached to the wall. I haven't found a good material and way to stick it at this stage, it will be too obvious with paper tape, and it will be reflective with scotch tape. Poor glue control and dosage can produce strange wrinkles.

Does it have to be a sticky material to combine? I'll find out in next stage.

The result was really good, with a clean and bright background, which is what I wanted to show in the future.

Yet, amidst the excitement, I've encountered challenges, particularly in time management and refining my work to its fullest potential. Despite a flurry of ideas, inadequate scheduling often leaves my projects unfinished or below par, a source of frustration. Recognizing the importance of better time management and a clear project scope, I'm committed to honing these skills for future endeavors.

Feedback from a portfolio tutorial highlighted the need for a more straightforward visual language and storytelling element. Armed with insights gained from presenting my portfolio for graduate school applications, I'm poised to enhance my storytelling abilities and craft more engaging narratives in my work.

I'm increasingly focused on creating experiences that resonate emotionally with audiences on multiple levels. While acknowledging the need to improve storytelling, I also aspire to incorporate tactile elements, such as fabric, into future exhibitions to enhance the viewer experience.

As I look forward to the challenges ahead, I'm eager to explore a variety of media in my pursuit of becoming a versatile, independent illustrator.

At this point it has developed into an interactive piece, when the audience stands in these fabrics, they touch the skin, wrapping and caressing, suggesting that we have grown up, and that the oppres- sion and confinement that represents our mother's love will slowly become a part of our memories as we grow up and mature, and that even though it still exists, we have become strong enough to resist it, and have learned to understand and tolerate it.

I want to continue to develop it afterward. I already have a rough plan, I will try different fabrics, pick the most suitable one and print a big piece of cloth, then drape it down from top to bottom, like a waterfall, octopus and tentacles pouring down from above, people standing underneath, if you look up there's a kind of oppression, but the fabric is very thin and light, very transparent, it's just like a dream, of course, I want to express the concepts and ideas and the same as what I just said! Of course, the concept and idea is the same as what I have just mentioned, but works with a large volume will always give people a visual impact and shock to the mind.