Coloring Book based on Dimen Animals

Surrounded by deep mountains of Guizhou Province in south-central China, the Kam minority village of Dimen has developed unique customs, stories, songs and design motifs that differentiate it from other places and have proudly resisted assimilation for centuries. However in the 1990s a large number of young people began to leave the village to make a more lucrative living in faraway factories. Television and satellite brought the mainstream Chinese culture to every home making the Kam want to be like everyone else. As a consequence, the younger generation often sees anything traditional as irrelevant and useless.

Marie Lee's Spring 2014 Graphic Design I students developed a coloring book that aims to strengthen Dimen children’s awareness of their local identity. Based on Marie Lee’s photographs of animals she encountered in Dimen, the drawings encourage children to take pride in their wonderful environment. Eight books were handed out to children that participated in the screen printing workshops.