Brand Genesis Lab | Tongji University

To promote the graduate exhibition of Tongji University’s College of Design and Innovation, a student team combined traditional craftsmanship with AI. The double-layered typographic posters – designed by Prof. Dawang Sun (art direction), Hui Pan (concept), Kangyi Zheng (typography) and Fei Wei (photography) – were created using sugar painting, an ancient Chinese craft. While the exhibition texts appear in black and white, the sugar letters on the overlaid transparent film offer an additional tactile experience.

Interview with Prof. Dawang Sun

Red Dot: How did you come up with the unusual solution of creating posters using sugar lettering?

Our initial inspiration came from the exhibition venue, an old sugar factory. Since this project involves young graduates, we wanted to further develop China’s traditional intangible cultural heritage technique of sugar painting and used AI for this. During the creation process, the sugar mixture must first be prepared, continuously stretched and kneaded until it is finally shaped, which is very similar to the growth process of young people. The ancient and the modern, overthrow and reconstruction – many elements that seem contradictory yet are closely intertwined. And this is precisely what forms our encouragement to young people: with tenacity, perseverance and an open mindset, you can be reshaped and reborn at every stage of life.

How was the lettering made from sugar?

We used a traditional approach of mixing different types of solid sugars, such as sucrose, maltose and white sugar. This blend was then melted into syrup with a certain viscosity and injected into a robotic arm. After the arm’s nozzle had sprayed the syrup in the shape of letters, the sugar mass became solid again after cooling. During the entire process, the exact temperature of the nozzle and the speed of the airflow are crucial. Repeated experiments and coding were required to achieve a perfect result.

What role did AI play in this process?

It was indispensable for this project. Sugar painting is part of China’s intangible cultural heritage and is entirely dependent on handcraft. Normally, sugar is drizzled manually and evenly onto a flat surface using long-handled spoons. Thanks to AI, we were able to precisely control the robotic arm and make adjustments at any time. This enabled continuous optimisation at low cost and high efficiency. AI thus breaks through the technical barriers of the traditional craft process and enables us to “print” modern typography with sugar.

You also emphasised sustainability. Can you tell us something about the upcycling aspect?

Our sugar painting was printed on recyclable cloth and put up as a huge outdoor poster on the facade of the building to promote the exhibition. After the event, we recycled it into tote bags for students, and soon the sugar painting was all over campus, keeping the story of the project alive.