Dreams of a Solo Traveller: Exploring Cultural Identity and Gender Roles Through Silk and Poetic Visual Communication

Qiainyin  Li; Marcos Mortensen Steagall

doi:10.24135/link2023.v5i1.249

Qiainyin Li Auckland University of Technology
Marcos Mortensen Steagall (Translator) Auckland University of Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/link2023.v5i1.249

Keywords: Aspiration, 剩女 (the Leftover Woman), 诗中有画, 画中有诗 (painting in the poetry, poetry in the painting), silk, the solo traveller

Abstract

Dreams of a Solo Traveller offers a reimagined perspective on the Chinese term 剩女 (Shèngnǚ or "Leftover Woman"), a label often applied to unmarried, urban professional women over the age of 27. In this research, the term is reframed to represent women who, rather than adhering to traditional marital expectations, deliberately pursue alternative paths for their future. The study is informed by personal experiences as well as literature on the familial and societal pressures faced by many young Chinese women today. A central concept in the research is the discursive interplay between poetry and painting, encapsulated in the Chinese expression 诗中有画/画中有诗 (‘painting in poetry and poetry in painting’). 诗中有画 refers to the vivid imagery found in poetry, while 画中有诗 reflects the poetic essence within painting. This ancient Chinese practice of blending literary and visual art forms is a key influence on the study, which uses this relationship to express contemporary social issues through design. The project explores how poetry, calligraphy, fabric design, illustration, and printing—utilized on silk—can challenge and reimagine societal gender expectations. Seven original poems, presented on draped silk, bring a modern interpretation to the concept of ‘painting in poetry and poetry in painting,’ applied in a visual communication design context. Each work is accompanied by a catalogue that includes English translations of the poems and concise explanations of each piece.

Author Biographies

Qiainyin Li, Auckland University of Technology

Qianying is a graphic designer from China and currently living and studying in Aotearoa New Zealand. I completed bachelor’s and master’s degree at AUT, majoring in Communication Design. With a background in human-centred design, I’m interested in autoethnographic approaches in graphic design, and how the self can inform the creative process in the search for authenticity, and originality and to maintain the dignity of the story. I hope to use the communication design skills to contribute to both digital and physical communication design solutions.

Marcos Mortensen Steagall, Auckland University of Technology

Marcos Mortensen Steagall is an Associate Professor in the Communication Design department at the Auckland University of Technology - AUT since 2016. He is the Communication Design Postgraduate Strand Leader and Programme Leader for Communication Design and Interaction Design for Year 3. He holds a Master's (2000) and PhD (2006) in Communication & Semiotics acquired from The Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a PhD in Art & Design from Auckland University of Technology in 2019. Research interest focus on Practice-oriented research in Design through a Global South perspective.