Dinner at Six

Creative Direction
Illustration
Publication Design

2023
Advised by Anastasiia Raina
Dinner at Six

Inspired by a simple, ordinary text, dinner at six?, this degree project is a search for joy of sharing food with others. Through the act of collecting and collaborating, it explores my curiosity on the significant role of food in communities and in building relationships—how the seemingly mundane act of eating can be so much more.

Through more than 102 meals with friends, family, and strangers during my senior spring semester at RISD, I asked myself what food means to me and discovered how my faith, childhood, and culture grounded my relationship with food. This journey has led me to understand that food is more than just physical nourishment; it is the ultimate language of love and care.

So, are you free for dinner at six?

PART 1: ON MAPPING MEALS

Collection of publications.

(Dinner at Six)
5″ × 8″
3 copies / 116 pages.
Perfect bound

Food nourishes your body—but beyond the scientific aspects, what truly nourishes you? By asking myself and those around me what it means to share food and how food ties into my identity, family, and culture, these publications examine the significance of sharing food and why it is so important in building community. It includes personal journals, conversations over meals, and interviews, celebrating the joy of life's journey and lessons learned through the lens of shared meals.

(Sharing is Caring)
8.5″ × 11″
21 copies / 4 pages.
Printed with Risograph
Spiral bound

Sharing food is a part of every culture, with the act holding different meanings across the globe—this publication delves into a deeper analysis of what sharing food means to us and how we incorporate it into our personal lives.

Created collaboratively with Iris Cho, this work is also part of "A Gathering of Gatherings," a series inspired by Mindy Seu’s work and her essay, "On Gathering," which includes a collection of works by 13 students.

PART 2: IN FINDING A HOME, IN THE ORDINARY

Collection of printed matters.

(Meal Receipts)
3.5″ × 8″
Printed and perforated

When we infuse our meals with intention, mindfulness, and reverence, we recognize the sacredness in eating and sharing. By connecting to people’s lives and their strories over food, we transform the ordinary act of sharing a meal into something extraordinary.

This collection of printed materials captures that essence—meal receipts and illustrations on napkins that document not just what people ate, but their conversations, their days, their stories. Receipts and napkins, often discarded and forgotten, actually hold stories—they are silent witnesses to our lives and the meals we share.

(Cloth Napkin)
20″ × 20″
Printed on Canvas and hemmed

Drawings doodled and sketched during meals were transformed into patterned cloth napkins.

Each meal contributes to a tapestry of home, weaving stories and lives together. Individual stories are never just one's own; they are part of a collective narrative.

PART 3: AT THE TABLE OF GRACE

(Invitation Cards)
12 sets / 3 cards each.
Printed with Risograph
Space Design

Sharing meals, hosting dinners, and cooking for others are invitations into your heart and home.

Final part of my degree project ultimately invites others to a table where I can share my discoveries and the joy of fellowship through food. Through this project, I hope to convey the goodness of life that God has revealed to me through meal tables, knowing that in all things, we can rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.

(Designed & Written by)
Ashley Yae

(Advised by)
Anastasiia Raina

(Contributions)
Aya Borucki / Thomas Bui / Elizabeth Che / Lauren Choi / Seoyoung Chun / Meya Gao
David Inho Lee / Joshua Lim / Maxton O’Connor / Aileen Park / James Park / Martin Menz
Jocelyn Salim / Manmeet Sodhi / Rafael Mediodia / Eliot Yun / Jonathan Zhou

(Special Thanks)
Anita Huang / Nicole Lee / Amy Lim / Timothy Whang / Peter Xu

(Typeface)
Dapifer / Fraunces

(Printing & Supply)
GD Typeshop / Paperworks

Rhode Island School of Design / Graphic Design 2023 Degree Project

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