Na An's Ode to Chinese Folk Arts: A Book Design Masterpiece

Preserving Cultural Heritage through Innovative Design

The inspiration behind this unique book design project stems from the rich and diverse Chinese folk arts. These arts, bearing distinct national and geographical characteristics, have a history of 7,000-8,000 years dating back to primitive society. However, these traditional folk cultures are now facing a crisis of survival. Na An's book design is a creative response to this crisis, intended to showcase the charm of folk arts and encourage their inheritance.

Each of the eight books in the series focuses on a different aspect of Chinese folk technology and materials, including textile arts, Papercuts, New Year pictures, embroidery, stone carving, brick carving, wood carving, and silver accessories. Na An has managed to extract symbolic language from classical patterns and rearrange the characters, graphics, and color blocks to interpret the major cultural heritage of China.

The uniqueness of this design lies not only in its content but also in its physical properties. The material texture, bookbinding technique, and color scheme all contribute to the overall aesthetic and emotional impact of the books. The use of different textures, such as paper and flannelette, creates subtle emotional changes. The bookbinding is inspired by traditional Chinese Thread bound, with the binding thread being the red line of Chinese knot. The color red serves as a recurring theme, appearing in the binding red lines, red ropes of the bag, and red in the pages.

The design process was not without its challenges. Na An had to carefully extract sign language from the pattern of traditional craft, establish a visual pleasure ground on traditional Chinese culture, and balance complex and simple visual elements in the book. However, the end result is a series of books that not only present the beauty of Chinese folk arts but also serve as a call to action for the preservation of traditional culture.

This innovative book design project has not gone unnoticed in the design world. It was awarded the Iron A' Print and Published Media Design Award in 2018, a prestigious accolade given to well-designed, practical, and innovative creations that meet professional and industrial requirements. This recognition serves as a testament to Na An's commitment to preserving cultural heritage through innovative design.