This thesis takes the author’s observations of bodily language and physical expressions in everyday life as a point of departure, treating them as symbols embedded with metaphorical meanings. It explores how people’s bodily gestures shift across different contexts, thereby altering the underlying symbolic and metaphorical implications. Through various perspectives, the author examines these transformations, which in turn form the foundation for the discussion of the author’s creative process and sculptural works. This reflection also enables the author to observe the differences between one’s behaviors and those of others in interpersonal relationships, thereby deepening self-understanding—learning how to be at peace when alone and how to harmonize with others in group settings.

This thesis is structured into four main chapters: From Solitary Individual to Collective Identity, Body, Symbol, and Metaphor, The Gaze Upon the Body, and Creative Process and Practice, followed by a conclusion. Chapter One, From Solitary Individual to Collective Identity, recounts the author’s experiences of confronting societal relationships, and the anxiety that arises between the self and the collective, to clarify the motivations and purposes behind the author’s artistic practice. Chapter Two, Body, Symbol, and Metaphor, adopts a semiotic perspective to explore human bodily language and the symbolic meanings it conveys. Chapter Three, The Gaze Upon the Body, extends the discussion from Chapter Two by examining how bodily expressions are shaped and constrained under social norms and the gaze of others. Chapter Four, Creative Process and Practice, outlines how the research has informed the author’s artistic creation, focusing on how symbols and gestures operate within visual culture and how they inform ways of seeing. The chapter also elaborates on the author's understanding of “realism” within the works and provides an in-depth account of the creative techniques and production process. The thesis concludes with a summary of the findings and reflections.

Through this research and sculptural practice, the author hopes to deepen academic engagement and artistic exploration, broaden personal horizons, and ultimately, through art, foster more meaningful connections and positive interactions between individuals and society.