In the Shadow of Expectations
The Paradox of Self-Loss and Identity
Thesis Project
“Have you ever felt like you're not really yourself, but just playing a role to make others happy?”
“This project is about how I lost myself while growing up under my familial and societal expectations.”
When I was growing up, I felt like I had to be two different people. My dad wanted me to be strong, sporty, and confident. My mom wanted me to be soft, artistic, and graceful. So I kept changing—how I looked, how I acted—just to fit both sides. But after a while, I started to wonder: Who am I, really?
So this thesis shares my story. My thesis is called “In the Shadow of Expectations: The Paradox of Self-Loss and Identity.” It’s about how trying to meet other people’s hopes can make us lose our true self
Visualized Design
This video is a visual extension of “In the Shadow of Expectations: The Paradox of Self-Loss and Identity.”Capturing the feeling of being trapped—both physically and emotionally—by placing the self inside a confined box. Using a first-person perspective, flashing filters, heartbeat, and breathing sounds, it viscerally conveys the tension, pressure, and anxiety explored in “In the Shadow of Expectations.” The piece translates the thesis theme into a sensory experience of internal struggle and identity confinement.
3D Printing Sculpture Design
Thesis Book