Ego, a sense of self-importance, is something that is not for open discussion. Many fear the public judgement for acknowledging personal strengths and weaknesses. It is important to exercise self-judgement, where we could learn and grow as an individual.
Here are the 4 equations to self-exploration:
____ + ____ = Me ____ - ____ = Better Me ____ x ____ = Ideal Me ____ +/- ____ = Me In 5 Years
To start off, I listed out possible adjectives or features that reflect my personality.
I filtered down to the following adjectives, in which the best representation of me:
ADVENTUROUS + BAD SENSE OF DIRECTION = ME COURAGE - FEAR = BETTER ME CURIOSITY X ADAPTABLE = IDEAL ME PERFORMING ARTS + PRODUCT DESIGN = ME IN 5 YEARS
ADVENTUROUS + BAD SENSE OF DIRECTION = ME
I love travelling overseas, immersing into the local culture and meeting people with alternative perspectives in life. Also, I am pretty bad in navigation. I need, the Google Map while travelling or to rely on my travel mates. When both fails, I find myself in unexpected situation, good and bad.
One of my spontaneous overseas trip happened recently in Penang. With a map on the hands, we had the best cuisines and met the friendliest shop owners. Company is definitely what makes travelling meaningful. I solve the equation with a group photo of me with my friends, whom I have been learning from to be a better person, a better me. Hence, I decided to compose this set at a very personal level by including my own photos.
Research:
by Hasisi Park
Process:
Triad harmony of blue, orange and green is used. Photos of the same hues are put together to create multiple exposure effects, juxtaposed with landmarks/places from different countries.
Blue hued photos –
(Hong Kong Ocean Park, 2015)
(Terengganu, Malaysia, 2014) 
(Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2015)
Orange hued photos –
(Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2015)
(Toronto, Canada, 2014)(Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2015)
Green hued photos –
(Toronto, Canada, 2014)
(Toronto, Canada, 2014)
(Toronto, Canada, 2014)
Photos overlaid:
Our first assignment working with lines came to my mind, particularly with distracted and indecisive. Compact lines were cluttered in one area to create an irregular form. It is the same when one gets lost while navigating, walking in circles with uncertainty.
I decided to intertwine yarn threads with structure before losing into separate ways. Colours of the yarns and background are selected from the same triad harmony.
Final Compositions
adventure
+ Bad sense of direction
= ME
COURAGE – FEAR = BETTER ME
Fear can take over and hold you back in making decisions. It is a psychological obstacle when you feel insecure and bare. Relating to my acrophobia, I imagine myself about to dive into the deep swirling ocean. A better me means to be more courageous in life, to take a leap forward without caring too much. Fear should not entirely be eliminated in life, however, for its ability to motivate and push my limits further.
Research:
Process:
Initial attempts were to blend shades of blue to create different tones, but they did not turn out to be as vibrant in poster paints. Optical blending technique is used instead to contrast atmospheric moods. Bubble wraps build a sensual mood of feeling nervous, in need to hide for protection.
Final Compositions
Courage
– fear
= better me
CURIOSITY x ADAPTABLE = IDEAL ME
Curiosity allows me to open the doors of knowledge. However, I can take very long to get comfortable in a new environment, often missing the opportunity to interact with new people. An ideal me is to remain passionate in learning not just in books but through experiences. Becoming a more expressive and adaptive individual would help me to reach out to people of different backgrounds.
Research:
by AnOldTrumpet
Process:
Curiosity is represented with cat for its nature behaviour. Triad harmony of blue, green and orange are used. Overlaying primary colour wheels create secondary colours (violet, green) to illustrate adaptability. By adjusting the lens of different colours (embracing new perspectives), we gain wisdom in new ways. Monochrome harmony from the Ideal Me composition is used to allow the colour wheels to pop.
Final Compositions
curiosity
x adaptable
= ideal me
PERFORMING ARTS X PRODUCT DESIGN = ME IN 5 YEARS
I love how production set design could elevate stage atmosphere, providing performers with an illuminated world to tell a story. In 5 years, I would see myself working towards to become a spatial/scenic designer.
Research:
from Pinterest
An ordinary cowbell
Process:
Analogous harmony of yellow and orange is used. Aluminium sheet is bent to shape like a cowbell instrument to represent performing art. To strike a contrast from the smooth and shiny surface of the sheet, I decided to use corroded foams for its porous texture. A combination of both would present a decorative instrument that gives pleasure to the eyes and ears.
Final Compositions
performing arts
x product design
= me in 5 years
So there you have it, a 2015 Yi Wen. And I am already excited to meet the future me 🙂
“Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle.”
– Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland