Melestarikan Kisah Budaya
Victoria Kelly Hardi
See it On Campus: Level 2
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Melestarikan Kisah Budaya (Preserving Cultural Stories) is a self-directed, two-volume booklet series that explores 14 cultural superstitions rooted in my Chinese-Indonesian heritage. These beliefs and stories, passed down through generations, shaped my early understanding of identity, belonging, and tradition.
This project merges my passion for visual storytelling and publication design, using both to honor the rituals that have shaped me and to question how culture evolves across time and distance. As I reflected on these seemingly ordinary habits, I began to see how deeply they were tied to family, memory, and unspoken values.
Through a combination of illustration and editorial layout design, I sought to preserve these stories while inviting thoughtful reconsideration of what traditions I wish to carry forward.
Each spread features an illustration on one side, paired with a written reflection on the other—capturing how each superstition was told to me growing up.
I chose to include these beliefs in my native language, Indonesian, to honor the way they were first shared with me. Alongside each superstition, I offer reflections on the origins of the superstition and its relevance today, inviting a deeper look at what we choose to hold onto and what we outgrow.
Each volume carries its own color palette, yet both explore a balance of positive and negative superstitions—highlighting how fear, luck, and protection are woven into cultural memory.
VOLUME ONE
The first volume was executed by firstly conducting research to select superstitions that felt most significant to me. I considered the symbols, patterns, and language that surrounded each one as it was passed down, and reflected on how these elements influenced my personal understanding of them.
Visually, I explored surrealistic and storytelling approaches through the layout, allowing the imagery and text to flow in ways that echo the dreamlike, layered nature of oral traditions and memory.
Flip through the digital version of Volume One here.
VOLUME TWO
The second volume was developed during the Spring semester, where I had the opportunity to refine and build upon the foundation set in Volume One. I brought improvements to both visual and narrative elements, shaping a clearer direction for how I wanted the booklet to evolve moving forward.
This time, I experimented with a new color palette—still soft, but with the addition of more vibrant tones to bring contrast and liveliness to the stories. I was more intentional in including detailed elements and contextual clues within each spread, inviting the viewer to engage more deeply with the nuances of each superstition. The layout continued to explore surrealistic and storytelling techniques, but with a stronger focus on visual rhythm and layered meaning.
Flip through the digital version of Volume Two here.
