Chinese Surname Totem

Chinese surnames originate from ancient totem figures and each one of them has its own history. The totem of a clan represents a social structure, a belief and a tradition, but also a primitive form of art. Using calligraphy is a way to express the beauty of those totem figures. This print is an exemplary compilation of 104 different totem figures of Chinese family names. Each of them is based on the study of historical characters as well as legends about the family names and displays the lines and totem figures in a strictly calligraphic way. To combine the traditional calligraphy with modern art, the colour patterns of artists like Picasso, Miró or Warhol were used with the individual works so the historical totems received a new contemporary layout.