Abstract
When people encounter fear and uncertainty, their mental and physical reactions can vary. Drawing from my personal experience and the ‘Uncanny Valley’ theory [2], I explore various materials and juxtapose ordinary elements with unsettling imagery. In this project, I focus on donuts, transforming them by adding surreal details to imbue them with eerie undertones. For example, in one of my works, a delicious-looking donut appears perfectly normal at first glance. When viewers have a close look at the donut, its surface is crawling with worms, creating an unsettling contrast between the familiar and the disturbing. By altering these familiar items, I seek to evoke a sense of unease and fascination, prompting viewers to reconsider the emotional weight of everyday objects.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Ceramic sculpture--Themes, motives; Ceramic sculpture--Technique; Installations (Art)--Themes, motives; Installations (Art)--Technique; Uncanny, The (Psychoanalysis), in art; Doughnuts--Pictorial works; Fear of contamination
Publication Date
4-26-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Student Type
Graduate
Degree Name
Metals and Jewelry Design (MFA)
Department, Program, or Center
American Crafts, School for
College
College of Art and Design
Advisor
Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez
Advisor/Committee Member
Laurel Fulton
Advisor/Committee Member
Shane Durgee
Recommended Citation
Xia, Yixuan, "Mundane, ordinary and eerie undertones" (2025). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/12105
Campus
RIT – Main Campus
Plan Codes
METAL-MFA