Chinese book 'best in show' at New York design awards
The award-winning “The Record of Suzhou’s Prosperity: Collected Works of Suzhou Taohuawu Woodblock New Year’s Painting Exhibition”
After winning a top China book design award last year, bilingual book “The Record of Suzhou’s Prosperity: Collected Works of Suzhou Taohuawu Woodblock New Year’s Painting Exhibition” received the Best in Show award at the 64th annual Communication Design Competition in New York on July 18.
The Type Directors Club’s annual competition highlights the best typographic work in both communication and typeface design from studios and individuals in the United States and internationally.
“The Record of Suzhou’s Prosperity” was chosen by a panel of seven veteran judges.
The book features Taohuawu woodcut prints, which originated in Suzhou and display delicate engravings, bright colors and varied themes that express social issues, folk customs and environmental changes in the region.
Published by Shanghai People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, the book was produced and edited by the Suzhou Center of Public Culture. It was especially issued for an exhibition of the same name held at Suzhou Art Museum in November 2017.
Instead of making the book in a traditional style to match its subject matter, designers took a more modern approach while still honoring the classic beauty of the works featured.
For example, the hollowed cover of the book is reminiscent of cutting from a woodcut knife, perfectly echoing the technique in Taohuawu woodcut prints. The folding pages inside the book can also be opened to appreciate pictures of the woodcut prints in detail.
“The Record of Suzhou’s Prosperity” is a bilingual book.
The book wins Best in Show award at this year's Communication Design Competition in New York.
