Xiàng

Synopsis

⁣像 (Xiàng) is an experimental stop-motion animation, loosely related to cross-generational memories and the passing of time, and informed by my research on mask dances from Tibetan Buddhism and traditional medical books from ancient China. The animation is also inspired by stories from Daoism which take up the themes of transcending boundaries, spirit journeying, and acceptance of the vicissitudes of life.


The animation is part of a larger project, which also includes a series of Risograph prints. While the prints are based on images from the animation, especially the repeating faces of characters, they have been repeatedly manipulated to creative distinctive standalone works. Each print is unique, but they share repeating motifs, in ways that blur memory and the present, and suggest a porous border between reality and dreams.