“I was born in distant Taipei!” says Xiyafeidong, as he explains that his name means “distant” in his native aboriginal language of Tao. His people, the Tao people, are accustomed to living near water. And Xiyafeidong compares himself to water “just like water, I like the feeling of drifting freely”.

Xiyafeidong designed the promotional material for the recent April 30 anti-nuclear rally. A native of Orchid Island, one of the smaller islands off Taiwan’s east coast, Xiyafeidong is used to taking part in ceremonies. For him, the anti-nuclear rally was more about being a part of a ritual than about the nuclear issues themselves.

Yet Xiyafeidong has found his place in social movements. By designing the artwork and paraphernalia worn by participants in protests and rallies, he is doing what his parents and forefathers did before him: protecting his land, looking after his people.