Abstract

The Eight Immortals is one of the representative mythological stories in traditional Chinese culture. Being a cultural creation that incorporates the ideas of local Chinese Taoism, these eight immortals and their iconic instruments, the Eight Treasures, have become symbols and emblems that have appeared as decorations on artifacts throughout the ages. This story has been rewritten into various novels, plays, movies, and even games throughout history. However, they have never broken away from a classical oriental narrative, and its dissemination has been limited to the Chinese-speaking world. And in this age of globalization, this story should have a wider audience and a more modern narrative. Just like the ancient Chinese fantasies about magic like the Eight Immortals story, we modern people have fantasies about futuristic technology, which in between, regardless of culture and region, implies human worship and hope for life. This paper serves as an exploration of my thesis design, which aims to combine the traditional story of the Eight Immortals and a futuristic narrative to redesign and modernize the iconic Treasures, blending the ancient with the contemporary to create an immersive experience that will captivate audiences worldwide. I present both 3D appearance design and 2D logo and visual design in motion. I chose the four most representative instruments from the Eight Treasures: the gourd, the sword, the lotus, and the flute. Just as this story is closely related to Taoism, these four instruments are representative symbols of Taoism.

Publication Date

8-5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Visual Communication Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Design, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Mike Strobert

Advisor/Committee Member

Adam Smith

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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