EDITORIAL
2022
Each book draws inspiration from and visually tells the story of one aspect of the community, from dress and hair style to the realistic struggle of Shamate. Online, a pop-up book shows the tedious process of getting into one of Shamate’s QQ chat groups, as Shamate established their community in the 2000s through the instant messaging software QQ. Outfit of the Day is a sticker book that showcases Shamate’s striking clothing and hairstyle formed by referencing other subcultures such as Punk, Emo, and Harajuku style. Based on interviews with previous Shamate community members, Smart’s Hair Color & Emotion Guidebook matches their expressive hair colors with the emotions behind them. Filters, an interactive book reproduces Shamate’s nostalgic online visual culture with a size equivalent to the mobile screen resolution of the 2000s, 640 × 960 px. Freedom illustrates the life struggle of Shamate by juxtaposing the presentation of fine literature with Chinese cheap labor advertisements. Consisting of Chinese blue-collar workers, Shamate was uneducated, working towards an unachievable dream of freedom. In this book, the French folds are tucked with pay stubs, and the page count of 365 indicates a nonstop working life at the yearly cycle.
Recognition: Featured in Slanted Magazine #42—Books