Happiness Is a Butterfly
Department of Crafts and Creative Design, National University of Kaohsiung
四點設計 Contact to Happiness Is a Butterfly for cooperation
Inspired by the iridescent Tailed Jay butterfly, this series seeks to capture the fluidity, fragility, and symbolic nature of beautiful emotions. Through the interweaving of material, structure, and light, the works place the ephemeral and the eternal within a shared visual narrative.
In Tao (Tatung) culture, this butterfly is attributed with dual meanings—both ancestral spirit and ominous force. Likewise, happiness is not a singular joy, but a layered emotion shaped by memories, uncertainties, and internal transformation. The shifting iridescence of the butterfly’s wings, seen through light and angle, mirrors the elusive and transient nature of happiness—delicate, multifaceted, and deeply felt.
Constructed from brass as the primary structure, combined with acrylic and magnetic powder, the pieces employ hammered textures and cutout techniques to express the dynamic flow of light and emotion. Inspired by natural forms and reconstructed through geometric lines and hollow structures, the designs allow light to cast wing-like patterns on the wearer’s skin and garments. Thus, happiness transcends the static form of ornament, becoming a presence that flows with body and space.
Each piece features a polarized layer that reveals unique pearlescent hues under different lighting conditions—much like happiness blooming quietly in shifting time, perspective, and setting, always fleeting yet precious.
The series includes five works titled: Serendipitous, Recognized, Luminous, Precious, Fleeting.
