Project 5 Final: "Stitches"

"Stitches" is a hand-made booklet that displays the aesthetic Hmong culture's symbols and meanings through their traditional Hmong clothing. The booklet is an accordion style made to enhance the poem, "Cipher Song," that speaks of a cultural aspect of Hmong history. Through many generations, Hmong have hand sewn and stitched their traditional clothing. The remarkable, handcrafted stitches are stylized to tell stories about the culture with a variety of symbols. "Stitches" shows the imagery of symbols and its meanings, which includes an english and hmong translation. The poem adds an artistic value of the culture and story to emphasize the depth of sewing for the Hmongs.

Project 5 Final: Progress

Sketches

Narrative Final

Cipher Song

It’s come to this. We hide the stories

on our sleeves, patchwork of cotton veins.

Scribe them on carriers for sleeping

babies, weave our ballads to the sash.

Forge paper from our aprons, and our

bodies will be books. Learn the language

of jackets: the way a pleat commands

a line, the way collars unfold as page,

sign our names in thread. The footprint

of an elephant. Snail’s shell. Ram’s horn.

When the words burn, all that’s left is ash.

By Mai Der Vang

[close-ups]

      

Work Progress

Work Progress

Project 4: Narrative \\ Work Progress 

Cipher Song

It’s come to this. We hide the stories

on our sleeves, patchwork of cotton veins.

Scribe them on carriers for sleeping

babies, weave our ballads to the sash.

Forge paper from our aprons, and our

bodies will be books. Learn the language

of jackets: the way a pleat commands

a line, the way collars unfold as page,

sign our names in thread. The footprint

of an elephant. Snail’s shell. Ram’s horn.

When the words burn, all that’s left is ash.

By Mai Der Vang

General Concept: Hmong Culture

• Hmong necklace
• skirt pattern
• shirt
• earrings
• money bag
• hat

Hmong Embroidery: Motifs & Symbols

Idea:

• image transfer on canvas
• self portrait
• transfer image 
• sew patterns (3D effect)
• images of cultural outfit 

Cyclical Nature: Final

In this imagery, it shows the cycle of contemplation in life, more specifically the journey of a career choice. Most people that I had conversed with always have this contemplation in their life whether they should choose this career path or that career path. We all have this picture-perfect of our dream job but along the way we hold back our dreams.