“Seek Sika” documents the changes in the population of the Formosan sika deer, a subspecies of the sika deer, endemic to the island of Taiwan. Through vivid illustrations, this work shows the extent of the influence human settlement has had on the situation of the deer throughout the ages. Divided into seven parts, the publication visualises the historical evolution of Taiwan, tracing it from ancient times to the period of the Kingdom of Formosa and up to the present time. Each period is represented through historic events as well as images of buildings typical of that time. The individual parts feature traditional Chinese bookbinding and allow readers to easily browse through and see the rise and decline of this particular species chronologically. The publication thus also draws attention to the ecological consequences of human actions.
Statement by the Jury
The unusual topic of this work has been elegantly realised and implemented. Great care went into the visualisation of the individual scenes, which depict the habitats of the Formosan sika deer through the ages. It merges a partly traditional design with a new approach toward illustration. Not least to the variation in the applied folding techniques, the seven individual rolls tell exciting stories that captivate the reader.
Credits
University:
Shu-Te University, Kaohsiung City
Supervising Professor:
Yu-Lung Yang
Design:
Mei-Xiu Lin, Shang-Hung Yen, Jhao-Ron Wu, Department of Visual Communication Design, Shu-Te University
