The Story of Shapes | 2019-2020

Designers: Cindy I-Hsuan Wang, Jan Hsieh, and Chu Fu Chen, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Manufacturer: The Pier-2 Art Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Long ago, in ancient China, people have drawn inspiration from the natural world to create a written language made up of pictograms and symbols. These images were known as Bone and Shell inscriptions The sun was a round circle, the moon was a crescent, the mountains were made up of triangles. These shapes were used to form characters.

Drawing from its ancient history and legacy, The Story of Shapes is an imaginative exploration of shapes and colors to form Chinese Zodiac animals and Chinese characters. Also inspired by the simplicity and abstract shapes of the Bauhaus movement, this exhibition hopes to create a new appreciation for traditional Chinese Zodiac animals and Chinese characters by portraying them in a new and contemporary light. The project also uses colors found in traditional Chinese ink paintings. In so doing, the Story of Shapes aims to make age-old Chinese stories and cultures accessible to everyone of all ages and cultures.

More specifically, the bright colors and simple shapes in The Story of Shapes exhibition inspires young children and encourages them to learn through play. A space in the exhibition hall was set aside as an activities corner, where the children could design their own animals by stamping together different shapes and colors. In conjunction with the exhibition, two children’s books were written and designed for parents and teachers to use to pique children’s interests in the Chinese zodiac and the Chinese character. The Story of Shapes exhibition runs from 2 January to 28 June 2020 at the Pier 2 Art District in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.