Image 1 of 1
Man Binh Diep
what is missing?
My thesis comes from wanting to understand a part of my identity that feels distant and incomplete. I am half Chinese, but I grew up in Vietnam with little connection to my Cantonese-speaking family, so much of what I know about my roots comes from fragmented stories, damaged family photos, and absence—especially my grandfather, who passed away early. By collecting family photographs, talking with family members, relatives, and learning more about the Cantonese language and community, I want to piece together what has been lost or left unexplored.
This project matters because many people experience their cultural identity through distance rather than direct inheritance. For me, graphic design becomes a way to hold, organize, and interpret these fragments—turning family stories, memories, and photos into a form of archive—something that can be shared visually and understood by others.Through different image-making processes, primarily risograph printing, I explore ways of creating texture and imperfection to evoke a sense of humanness and emotional weight of these fragmented stories.
