Wake Up Her Butterfly
“Wake Up Her Butterfly” is a book project aimed at archiving my mother’s artwork, meaningful objects, family photographs, preserved diaries, and interviews conducted between my mother and me.
This book serves to preserve moments that I consider to be memorable and invaluable, with a hope that this book will revive her independent female individuality that may have been suppressed by long-term work-related stress, societal pressures and family tensions.
My focus also includes delving into the living circumstances of contemporary Chinese women who navigate multiple identities.
Background
What began as an effort to alleviate my mother's work stress and ease family tensions gradually transformed into something deeper. Through our conversations, I realized there was a misunderstanding about her sense of independence, shaped by an unseen generational divide.
In the 1970s, she broke societal expectations, pursued her education, and embraced love with boldness. While she might not align with modern ideals of independence, she stands as a extraordinary figure of her time—a radiant butterfly who shone brightly in her own era.
This book comprises three archive books. Three meanings of the butterfly, four distinct interview themes, along with coptic binding. The resources utilized encompass interview scripts, family photos, my mom’s writings, artworks, and significant objects that stands out in our memories.
Eye Tracking Graphics
The interview graphics visually illustrate the eye contact dynamics between my mother and me, capturing shifts in our gaze direction throughout the conversation.
It portrays the frequency of our eye contact, instances of avoidance, and highlights the fluctuations in our voice volumes and significant facial expressions.
