Cute Visions: Designing an Interplay Between Traditional Chinese Auspicious Patterns and Japanese Kawaii Cuteness

Abstract

Chinese traditional auspicious patterns are an important part of Chinese auspicious culture. The patterns are associated with Chinese auspicious blessings and each has a rich background of auspicious meanings and symbolic design. However, traditional Chinese auspicious patterns have lost the original function of sending feelings and emotions to the audience. This project aims to explore the possibility of expressing the emotions, meanings and the content of the Chinese auspicious traditional auspicious patterns by integrating it with the aesthetic characteristics of Japanese kawaii illustration, a popular culture of cuteness. Through doing this, the aim is to discover a new way of visually delivering the meaning and emotion of Chinese auspicious patterns and to contemporize the traditional patterns in ways that can be appreciated by a modern audience. The output of this practice-based research is presented in a series of digital design works as examples of modern Chinese auspicious pattern design.