The project “Nian” is an exploration of the visual language of Chinese New Year and its cultural significance, customs, and traditions. Through engagement with Chinese people born in their 20s and 30s, I have collected 168 photos and calligraphy of the Chinese character “年”(it means year, also can be used to refer the Chinese New Year) , and created pictograms that represent the Chinese New Year and catalogued them into the book. During the collection process, I asked people what Chinese New Year means to them, and their answers were varied, providing insights into the diverse ways of celebrating the festival across China.
This engagement with the audience has enabled me to piece together a fuller picture of the current Chinese New Year under the cultural diversity of the times. As I was sorting through the photographs, I realized that superstitions and beliefs played a significant role in celebrating the Chinese New Year. For example, people visit temples on the first day of the new year to wish for good luck, firecrackers and fireworks are used to scare away monsters, and dumplings are eaten on New Year’s Eve to wish for a wealthy year. These findings have sparked an interest in exploring the superstition and belief aspect of Chinese traditions in my future studies in next semester.
Another key lesson learned from engaging with the audience is the importance of clarity in conveying the message. The use of graphic elements such as pictograms in communicating cultural themes can be challenging, as the visual language may not be apparent to everyone. Therefore, I have realized the need to create a narrative that provides context and explanation of the cultural symbols used. In this regard, I plan to have conversations with my audience about pictograms. Since Chinese characters are pictogram language, I intend to test the pictograms I have created with more audiences to gain better insights into their legibility and how they feel about them.
The engagement with audiences has also shaped the future planning and development of the project. I recognized the need to explore other mediums such as videos, animations, and more to reach a wider audience. By exploring other mediums, the project can become more accessible to people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Additionally, the project can engage with different cultural communities to create a more inclusive narrative that promotes intercultural dialogue. This is especially important as intercultural dialogue is essential in building bridges between cultures and promoting respect and acceptance.