Recreating a Meiji-Era Artifact

This was a collaborative project with the Crow Museum of Asian Art, focused on reimagining a Meiji-era Japanese artifact—a small ceramic dog associated with the Mingei tradition.

Research was the starting point of the project. Before we began designing and building, we spent time learning about the artifact, its historical and cultural context, and the ideas connected to it. This research helped us develop the concept and visual direction with a deeper understanding, rather than simply recreating the artifact's appearance.

From there, we translated our research into concept development, design, and production. We created a new narrative around the artifact, giving a small museum piece a chance to move and tell a story. The result was a short animation that brought the artifact into a new context and gave it a new way to experience.

Throughout the process, our research directly informed the visual decisions we made—from design and textures to lighting, color, and the overall atmosphere of the piece. For me, this connection between research and making was one of the most interesting parts of the project: seeing how historical research could lead to a visual idea and eventually become a moving image.

We presented the project as a group presentation at the Crow Museum of Asian Art, where we shared our research, the development of the concept, and the process of transforming a museum artifact into a contemporary visual narrative.

This project was a valuable experience for me because it allowed me to explore something I have become increasingly interested in using research and historical sources as a starting point for contemporary visual storytelling.