Semiofest Session 42: Doing Semiotics in Asia

As Asia takes a center stage in global cultural and economic flows, semiotic analysis in the region faces unique opportunities and tensions. Coco Wu has invited 3 semioticians from different countries in Asia to discuss the ins and outs of semiotics in Asian contexts and how Eastern philosophies — with their emphasis on cyclical rather than linear time, harmony over opposition, and relational identity — might expand the very way we think about meaning-making.

ONAIZA DRABU is the co-founder of Code Switch Consulting - a research and insights agency that works across South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. As an anthropologist and semiotician with a specialization in digital cultures, Onaiza has deployed her toolkit to all sorts of problems businesses face. Onaiza is also a writer and works on folklore and myth in Kashmir.

JOEL LIM DU BOIS is a Belgian-Malaysian semiotician specialising in Southeast Asian cultural insight. Previously based in London and São Paulo and today in Penang, Malaysia, he works to valorise local and regional Southeast Asian perspectives within global communications.

JIAKUN WANG, Executive Committee member of FuturistCircle, is a Shanghai-based applied semiotician, futurist, and innovation consultant. He delves into emerging patterns in Chinese metamodern culture and the practice of generative futuring.

COCO WU is one of the few native experts in semiotics and cultural insights in the APAC region. Born and raised in China, educated in Europe, and now residing in Singapore, she is dedicated to promoting commercial semiotics in Asia. Her work focuses on cultivating authentic, ground-level cultural insights that bridge global perspectives with local realities.

This session is going to be one-of-a-kind and we can't wait to see you there. Semiofest is a non-profit organisation that relies on kind donations to help us cover our expenses. We recommend a minimum donation of £5.

Thank you.

The Semiofest Team