Hailie Ma
Sonder
Prompt: Students will design and create a 3D object or artifact that reflects their connection to a community or expresses an aspect of their identity, beliefs, or personality. The object can be a sculpture, a functional tool, or a body extension (such as an accessory, garment, or prosthesis). The aim is for the object to visually express feelings of belonging or connection to a particular community, whether chosen or inherent.
Sonder is a wooden drawer with nine compartments, each representing a small window view into a different world. This piece is inspired by the concept of sonder, the realization that every person lives a life as vivid and complex as our own, even when seen briefly from the outside. Through the use of drawers, frames, and layered interior scenes, the work reflects how we often only glimpse fragments of other people’s lives while never fully knowing their actual lives.
The research I conducted on the community helped shape this idea by highlighting how people exist not as isolated individuals, but as interconnected lives moving alongside one another. My design responds to this by presenting nine distinct lives, each representing a different personal moment. Together, the compartments suggest a small community of lives existing side by side, emphasizing both connection and distance. I was inspired by the emotional effect of sonder itself, especially the idea that ordinary moments can hold deeper meanings based on your own experiences. By transforming this concept into a physical wooden sculpture, I aim to create a work that invites viewers to reflect on the hidden lives that surround them.