Year
2025
Client
AU FAMILY
MAIN Category
Illustration
Project relevance
FREELANCE
The design was traditionally hand-illustrated with calligraphic ink, brush and paper. Painted with calm intention, 16 strokes gradually became 1 form– a character rooted in ancestral origin, cultural preservation, and personal identity.
Through many trials across stacks of calligraphic paper and depleting ink, the chosen final character reflected accurate brush movement, stroke thickness, and organic form. The hand-painted design was then transferred into Adobe Illustrator, vectorized, and carefully cleaned while preserving its original texture and integrity. Ultimately, the design became more than a visual symbol—it was tattooed on three daughters of the Au family’s third generation.
Rooted in Cantonese origins, the surname “Au” (歐) traces back to the Au Village in China. From this village, ancestors immigrated to Hawai’i, building a new life that has presently flourished across three generations while continuing to carry the values, traditions, and identity of where they came from. This project asks how design can preserve a living culture without reducing it to the past, using calligraphic research and visual storytelling to honor the authenticity of the Au family’s heritage, connect origin to migration, and keep ancestral memory alive.
