M^u: A jewelry brand inspired by the stories of different communities

Designed and Hand-Crafted by Cecilia HyunJae Cho

M^u (pronounced: em-power-you) is a handmade jewelry brand conceived to empower and transform. Cecilia HyunJae Cho designed all components of this brand to cultivate physical and mental positive energy. M^u will release different collections inspired by a specific issue or community interests.

The first collection from M^u takes inspiration from the anecdotes of Third Culture Kids (TCK). TCKs are those raised in cultures different from their birth or ethnic culture. While this lifestyle promotes a well- founded worldview and kinship with various cultures, it comes with its share of obstacles. For instance, TCKs face the deep-seated conflict of identity that stems from the insecurity of cultural values.

The stories of TCKs have been transformed—by design—into ‘amulets’ for beauty and protection. The pieces in the TCK collection seek to ease the friction between clashing ideologies, values, and identities through a visual manifestation of coexisting elements of culture. Furthermore, wearing the pieces will have a physical and mental realization aligned with the mission of M^u.

wandering

Young May Yee’s life gets a 360° makeover when she is given a chance to go to the sunny Singapore for a much brighter future. But with an opportunity this grand, can she really keep up with what she is expected to become?

‘wandering’ is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel that follows May Yee, a young Burmese TCK coming to terms with her identity and the relationships with people around her, shaped by her experiences of living in Myanmar in the early 2000s and then moving to Singapore with her family. The story will be told through different perspectives, from both May Yee and her immigrant family in different print formats and sizes, and each of these works will be inspired in terms of form and narrative content by items from Burmese visual culture. Through these visual and narrative elements, ‘wandering’ hopes to communicate a more personal and unique experience of moving from Myanmar, while addressing the universal TCK experiences of growing up in two countries at the same time.

Full Circle

Full Circle is an animated short film that presents the Moon and Earth’s relationship through a narrative medium. It journeys through a sleepless night, conquering the semi-conscious moonlit world and the retrospective nature of the night.

The personal stories of twenty experts and enthusiasts in astronomical fields construct the narrative and its landscapes — coffee tables, paper planes, corridors, among other things. This anecdotal format seeks to present science through the eyes of humanity, prompting the audience to experience scientific information through the familiar mundanity of life. 

The humanistic vision of science acts as a launchpad for curiosity and allows the audience to access science through their own experiential libraries.

Designing A Restorative Walk In A Garden: The Three Space

In Singapore, parks and gardens are utilised mainly as venues for sports and leisure purposes, and were designed with an eye on their amenities, instead of accentuating the role nature plays in fostering psychological well being. Much of the therapeutic effects on health that come from being in nature or through interacting with nature has received scant critical attention.

The Three Space Garden is a curated garden experience for visitors to restore their sense of selfhood and composure through the sensory exploration of nature. The garden introduces four fixed trails, namely, ‘Texture’ ‘Flavour’ ‘Scent’ and ‘Sound’ that facilitate regenerative interactions between the visitor and the natural topography.

The project aims to reorient ideas found in discussions on conventional gardening by reconceptualising the visitor’s journey therein in an ordered sequence. This helps maximise interactions with nature and consequently brings about a stability of mind amongst users. As attendees embark on the various trails, they find themselves being led to state of mental peace in the midst of the three therapeutic zones with ‘Private’, ‘Therapeutic’ and ‘Social’ restorative attributes.

Loop

In recent years, waste resulting from packaging has soared, mainly due to the rapid growth of e-commerce. While e-commerce has undoubtedly made our lives much more convenient and efficient, the sheer amount of waste it produces should not be taken lightly. With each delivery, more packaging waste is generated.

Loop aims to close the consumption loop and move towards a circular economy by simplifying the process of recycling and up-cycling. Through packaging and interactive design solutions, we hope to bring about positive user experience for the consumers, hence, encouraging sustainable behaviours in our community.

Let’s play our part and close the loop, one box at a time!