The American Ethnic Studies (AES) Study Abroad: Finding Roots - Cantonese and Hokkien Diaspora:
These shirts, are worn to symbolize the spread and connection between overseas Chinese to South East Asian cultures and origins. The professor leading the trip, Professor So, asked me design the shirts complying with the message of the trip and with University of Washington branding laws.
Main Design - OVERSEAS DRAGON - I decided to use a Yin Yang symbol to show the connection and difference between overseas Chinese (picture of Seattle) to a recognizable symbol of travel in Hong Kong (picture of HK Junk Boat). Yin Yang is also fitting for the Taoist and Buddhist influence in the region of the study abroad, and also has a hidden symbol of using the professors last name. I orientated the Yin Yang so that an "S" is formed in the internal division between the 2 pictures and that an "O" encompasses the overall design; making the Professor's last name "So." I then formed a dragon body out of the Yin Yang lines, with a minimalistic dragon head up top and a cross-diamond shaped dragon tale down below. It was then simplified into one color, "Boundless Gold," with appropriate logos and titles and the characters "華僑 (huáqiáo)" which means overseas Chinese in Cantonese. In 2018, I revamped the original design and have also created an Alternate Shirt.
OVERSEAS DRAGON - Mock Up
Alternate Design - GOLD MOUNTAINS - This shirt was designed for the purpose of entering other overseas universities and international establishments. With the characters from the main design, "華僑 (huáqiáo)," combined with the University of Washington's Chinese title "華盛頓大學 (huáshèngdùn dàhac), the "華" in both titles functions as an actual "bridge" for connecting Southern Chinese culture to University of Washington students. Up top, similar landscapes from the previous shirt, Seattle skyline and HK Junk Boat, along with the 5 Rams Sculpture in GuangZhao, together, act as "peaks" of a bigger landscape, "golden mountains," which also has special meaning for early Chinese immigrating to San Francisco, nicknaming the land "金山 (gumsaān)," gold mountain.
GOLD MOUNTAINS - Mock Up
AES Design - AES INSIGNIA - This design comes directly from the AES websites mosaic background depicting the connection of a united front of peoples faces. Abstracting the detailed elements from the virtuous pattern, I transformed it to create the overall AES insignia. Placed on an athletic polo, this was made for fancier occasions while keeping the entire group cool, calm, and collected.
AES Mosaic Background
AES INSIGNIA - Mock Up
AES is a multicultural and multidisciplinary research and teaching unit dedicated to the production and transmission of knowledge on key aspects and issues of race and ethnicity. Through the courses, AES offers four areas of concentration, students have the opportunity to learn interdisciplinary, ethnic-specific, and comparative concepts, theories, and methods of inquiry as applied to the study of selected U.S. ethnic groups. AES aims to help students become knowledgeable citizens with an advanced sense of critical thinking and respect for diversity.