Sipei Yao

Sipei Yao – Reincarnation Archives
Hello, I’m Sipei Yao, an MA Illustration student who loves to work with stories, materials, and emotions. My creative journey is driven by curiosity about people—their memories, longings, and the quiet dreams they rarely put into words. I believe art is not only a way to express myself, but also a way to listen, connect, and create spaces for empathy.

My graduation project, Reincarnation Archives, began with a simple question: If you could choose your next life, who or what would you become—and why? I collected 29 real-life stories from friends, strangers, and online encounters. Some were heartfelt, some funny, some deeply moving. They came from people across different cultures and beliefs, but each carried a unique vision of the “next life.”

Rather than treating reincarnation purely as a religious belief, I explored it as a metaphor—for hidden hopes, unresolved regrets, and the human desire to rewrite one’s fate. These stories are transformed into two kinds of artworks:

• Interactive paper works: Viewers can pull, rotate, or unfold to reveal hidden layers of meaning, making the act of discovery part of the emotional experience.
• Silent sculptures: Still and contemplative pieces that invite quiet reflection, where touch is replaced by gaze and thought.

I love experimenting with materials—paper, shrink plastic, PVC, fabrics, magnets. Each material carries its own symbolism: fragility, resilience, connection. My process often starts with listening, then sketching ideas, and finally building objects that can be touched, moved, or simply contemplated.

What I hope to achieve through this project is not just to tell other people’s stories, but to invite the audience to imagine their own. When someone interacts with my work and says, “It made me think about what I’m still longing for,” I feel the project has done its job.

Looking ahead, I want to keep working at the intersection of illustration, installation, and social narrative—creating participatory art that is both visually engaging and emotionally grounded.