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Transcend the Corner (无独有“隅”)

Artwork Technical Description

(1) Hardware and software used:

iPad Pro (2nd Generation): Procreate (for digital painting and fine-tuning of images), Shapr (for 3D modeling), and Record it! (for screen recording when 3D models are demonstrated in Shapr on iPad).

Dell Inspiron 5480: Wondershare Filmora 11 (for video editing).


(2) Details:

“Enchant——Cattleya” (歆羡——花香) (100cm*55cm) adopted Chinese ink and pigments and was painted on rice paper. 


“Endure——COVID19” (勠力——抗疫) (100cm*55cm) combines the coloring techniques in both eastern and western drawings to highlights a more detailed scene of healthcare workers attending to the patients. Flowers and rocks are dealt with in a similar way. Noticeable use of the transparency and fluidity in watercolor paintings are seen in petals and rocks, whereas leaves and the edges of rocks are blended with layers of titanium white to give a sense of layers, space, and volume. In contrast, no noticeable black ink is used in leaves, so that flowers and leaves appear elegant when juxtaposed, which in turn highlights the heavy use of ink in the health-worker scene. In terms of layout, bougainvilleas and orchids complement and enhance each other, both of which are of a similar size as the health-worker scene in the middle. The equal size used for the 3 main parts is intended to deliver the message that the romance of blossoms is equal to the benevolence of health workers.


“Energize——Youth” (蓊郁——光阴) is a Chinese Calligraphy artwork (70cm*35cm) written in Chinese ink on rice paper. It adopted the “semi-cursive script” style to appear fluid, flexible yet solemn, appropriate for the message conveyed. 


These 3 paintings are scanned, fine-tuned in Procreate, and uploaded to Shapr to be combined with other 3D models. 


The 2 wallpapers (plant and cat) were digitally designed using Procreate, where the fluffy effect of the cat is made with a self-created brush on Procreate.


The dimension and materials used for “XCT: X-ray Covid Terminator” are based on my engineering design and theoretical calculations. (A paper detailing the research process and its technical details can be downloaded here. )


The dimension and materials used for the drone and its glove control can be found in the slides here. 

The “RFM: ResourceFood (Resourceful) Machine” is of the dimension 36cm*53cm*56cm. It is designed based on the concept of lean engineering so as to automate mundane processes (in this case, washing, cutting, and cooking of vegetables, meat, and fruit). The main components are designed so that they can be potentially 3D printed at a reasonable cost. This means that some components can be of a smaller size (e.g. motors, linear drives) and function as effectively as before. Its body is made of aluminum due to its affordability, durability, etc. The speed of rotation of the main blades can be adjusted. Moreover, the utensils and plates with various patterns/shapes can be 3D printed if a forum of design sharing is to be created for users of RFM. If this becomes a reality, then the functions of RFM will increase exponentially with time.


The 3D-printed food can be produced from machines such as Foodini.

Background Music Credits

The artwork and technical details are all Zhu Yuxin's own works, except the background music used to illustrate the video. Credits for the background music used in the video are given at the end of the video. All pieces of music are from Lexie Liu's songs. Lexie Liu is a Chinese singer and songwriter who Zhu Yuxin admires but has no direct relationship with. Lexie Liu's voice was used throughout the video to keep the style of the audio consistent. As she has similar experiences (studying overseas in teenage years) as Zhu Yuxin, and strives to bring Chinese culture to the world, Zhu Yuxin deeply resonate with Lexie Liu's songs, and hence used some pieces. Just like how elements of multiple music genres are often combined in her songs, Zhu Yuxin hopes that the background music also conveys the message of breaking the boundaries, between cultures, and between art and technology.

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