DON’T BE A STRANGER
Context:
People often carry private emotions, memories, and experiences that are not visible to others. For this project, I wanted to explore how portraiture and participation could create a quiet moment of connection between strangers. My goal was to design an installation that invited viewers to look closer, reflect on what people hold internally, and contribute their own hidden thoughts to the piece.
Process:
I created a wall of red envelopes, each labeled with a participant’s name and holding a hand-drawn graphite portrait. The portraits peek out from the envelopes, encouraging viewers to physically pull them out and discover the written response on the back. I gathered responses to the prompt, “What is something you hold that others cannot see?” and paired each answer with a portrait. I also designed an interactive table with paper, pencils, and a mirror so viewers could draw themselves, write their own response, and add it to the installation.
Result:
The final installation became a growing archive of portraits and personal reflections. By allowing viewers to remove, read, and contribute to the work, the piece transformed from a static display into a shared experience. The project created a space for vulnerability, curiosity, and connection, using simple materials to reveal the unseen stories people carry.
Class:
Open Call
Tools:
Graphite, Adobe InDesign
Skills:
Illustration, Installation Design, Participatory Design
Inspiration
In a past project, I created a book by interviewing strangers and asking them, “What was your happiest moment?” What began as a simple question became a way to briefly enter someone else’s life and turn a stranger into someone familiar. That experience inspired Don’t Be a Stranger, continuing my interest in intimacy, memory, and the unexpected connections that form through small moments of vulnerability.
Ideation
I began the project by sketching different ways portraits, envelopes, and written responses could interact, exploring how the viewer would discover each person’s hidden story.
