Wanderer: An aisthetic inquiry into the experience of exile.

Summer Shan; Marcos Mortensen Steagall

doi:10.24135/link-praxis.v3i1.42

Summer Shan Auckland University of Technology
Marcos Mortensen Steagall (Translator) Auckland University of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/link-praxis.v3i1.42

Keywords: Aisthetic (sensory) design, 羁旅 (Exile), Fictional, Poetic inquiry, 旅行皮箱 (Portmanteau)

Abstract

This article presents Wanderer: An Aisthetic Inquiry into the Experience of Exile, a practice-led research project completed at the master’s level in New Zealand. The study explores how a sensory designer might draw on the historical literary convention of 羁旅 (exile) to create a fictional 旅行皮箱 (portmanteau) that expresses the experience of loss and disorientation encountered by Chinese international students studying abroad. The research examines how poetic inquiry and sensory design function within practice-led research to articulate themes of displacement, nostalgia, and cultural estrangement. The study is structured around the iterative development of artefacts, employing creative writing, close reading, prototyping, and material experimentation to construct a fictional world. The portmanteau serves as both a conceptual and material repository, housing print media, personal correspondence, and ephemera that collectively form a sensory and narrative representation of exile. These artefacts are designed to evoke tactile, visual, and olfactory engagement, positioning sensory experience as a critical mode of communication within the research. Beyond documenting the project, the article critically reflects on its methodological approach, considering how the integration of poetic inquiry and material storytelling expands the scope of practice-led design research. The study contributes to discussions on exile as a cultural phenomenon and highlights the potential of creative practice as a means of articulating affective and embodied knowledge. Through its synthesis of narrative, sensory design, and artistic research, the project demonstrates how practice-led methodologies can engage with complex emotional and cultural conditions, offering new perspectives on identity, belonging, and displacement.

Author Biographies

Summer Shan, Auckland University of Technology

Kexin Shan is a postgraduate student from China who lives in New Zealand and works as a visual communication designer. She holds a Bachelor of Communication Design and a Master of Design from Auckland University of Technology. She specializes in utilizing her own experiences to develop design explorations. Whether expanding on real experiences or constructing fictional worlds, she builds bridges between the imaginary and the real to create meaning. She combines different phenomena with visual communication design to convey internal voices. Research interests include practice-led inquiry in graphic design, poetic inquiry, sensory design, autoethnographic research and heuristics methodologies.

Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Auckland University of Technology

Marcos Mortensen Steagall is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Design at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). In his research and professional pursuits, Dr. Mortensen Steagall explores the intersection of visual semiotics and practice-oriented methodologies in Art, Design, Communication, and Technology. His artistic practice, primarily centred on lens-based and digital image-making, serves as a method for knowledge production. Dr. Mortensen Steagall's work is characterised by an interdisciplinary approach that merges academic research with artistic practice, highlighting the significance of embracing diverse cultural narratives and knowledge systems in Design. Additionally, he is the editor of the academic journal LINK Praxis and chairs the LINK International Conference, focusing on Practice-led Research and the Global South.

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