Phoenix

Phoenixes, or ‘凤凰’ (fenghuang), are mythological birds that can be regarded as spiritual totems. These birds are supposed to be colourful, but the colours have been intentionally removed from the illustrations in this book, which is presented in white as a tribute to the doctors and nurses who showed strong will and an indomitable human spirit. The book binding conveys the poetic context through rational and perceptual colours. The box features three poetry translations, and the book is divided into four stages of the phoenix’s life cycle: birth, flight, nirvana and rebirth. The book is embellished with orange flames to depict how the phoenix is baptised by fire and then reborn. The Chinese word for male phoenix (‘凤’) is used on the cover as a symbol of wisdom, while the word for female phoenix (‘凰’) is debossed on the back cover to convey the theme ‘reconciliation leads to harmony’ in Poetry is Light.

 Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Ready to launch | Visual Communication