My animation, 小狗：六六大顺, is the story of a young boy who finds an unlikely best friend. Together, they embark on a grand adventure to find family. Through a series of unexpected events, they discover that family is not always given; sometimes kinship is forged through shared experiences and mutual expressions of belonging.
The title of my piece, 小狗：六六大顺, includes a Chinese aphorism that roughly translates to “everything is going smoothly.” Meant as an optimistic statement, I hope my audience is able to take away the sentiment that although at times we are handed difficult lots in life, we are each on a journey. Every high peak and every low point we experience are all part of a larger path to self-discovery. If we can choose to see difficulties and change in this way, we are bound to live a more graceful and content life.
Much of my portfolio work in general is focused on identity and belonging through the lens of my lived experience as both a Chinese-American and an adoptee. This piece stemmed from an interest in further exploring these themes. Throughout the animation, I wanted to reference my Chinese roots and tie in the beauty of my original culture. I see it as an exercise in autonomy over my identity. In the past, I’ve struggled to reconcile what it means to be both Chinese and an American, particularly as an adoptee. I’m slowly coming to a point where I can adopt and discard aspects from both without guilt and with clarity. As an extension of this choice to create belonging and place myself, this animation shows that belonging can happen by choice or even by invitation.