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moji · 5 years

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#叁語　

#Trilingua #Neons #北魏

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readymade-journal-en · 7 years

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Adonian Chan / Designer Type is the New Fashion

“Type is the clothing a word wears”, said the legendary Swiss Typeface designer Adrian Frutiger.

In Hong Kong, while people crave fashion and spend a fortune on the clothing they put on, type, the outfits of words, remains unnoticed and is one of the last things people’ d be willing to pay for. If appearances can say things about us, then we could perhaps find out something about the designer and founder of design studio Trilingua, Adonian Chan, from his vintage pencil moustache. His ardour for the past is not just shown by his taste of tash, but also by his occasional mentioning of Chinese history, and above all, his persistent efforts to research Beiwei type design. But what distinguishes Adonian from a dinosaur is that he does not trace the past out of pure nostalgia— he wants people to learn to admire our own culture, picking the cultural essence both critically and meticulously. To Adonian, type itself is the vector of our past and present cultures. Only when people realise the treasures in typeface could they truly love type design as much as they love fashion.

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How are Hong Kong’s cultural features manifested in typography and calligraphy?

Right from the start Hong Kong hands down an enduring tradition of writing culture that diffuses into daily applications of different society strata. Maybe the Chinese culture has a fancy for characters, which explains their ubiquitous appearances in everyday life, from a-building-tall shop sign to smaller things like food containers, chopsticks, tissue paper and so on.

A type design style can reflect the national psychology or aesthetics of a period, for example, the fierce, masculine Beiwei style demonstrates Xianbei nomads’ boldness, and its razor-edged strokes remind us of the ferocious warfare around the Northern Wei period.

Shaped by Hong Kong’s culture, the evolved Beiwei style is round, genuine and forceful. Perhaps doing business in a crammed city needs reliability and standing out?

On the contrary, Japan’s type design style tends to be graceful and reserved, which reveals their meticulous trait.

What is the biggest hurdle to make people understand the value of typography?

Typography is significant, but it is not as overriding as other design fields such as architecture. Because the most dreadful type design only results in an incorrect pronunciation or looking terribly unpleasant, yet an appalling building can threaten people’s lives. Therefore, the importance of typography is more implicit.

There are three aspects of value in typography.

Firstly, the practical value. Writing is invented to transform conceptual thoughts in our mind into comprehensible forms. (In reverse we hinge on languages to organise our ideas.) Words are the visual expressions of this type of communication, so that we can convey messages more accurately. So, legibility and readability are the standards to assess this area.

Secondly, the aesthetic value. Words’ visual quality comprises a more indirect, or the second level of a communication form, in addition to its function as a message-transmitting tool. This form can articulate abstract feelings.

Thirdly, the cultural value. Writing constitutes the core of a culture, for the entire culture is based on this form as a major mode of communication. Its extensive use gradually produces various commonalities in type aesthetics, breeding a kind of aesthetic notions. The most gripping part of typography is that its design spirit is very similar to a relay race, and both are never-ending. The “runner” is handed down the fruits of his predecessors, adding some thoughts of himself and a new work is created. Typography does not only reflect the present culture, but also it expresses the past cultures.

Have you come across a thing which completely subverted your perceptions when you were conducting your type design research project?

I used to participate in social movements fervently, spending a fair amount of time in reading political news or articles every day. But it was also this absorption which made me feel rather gloomy, because every time I heard some vexing information (basically there isn’t a day without bad news). Yet from the time when I started to delve into Hong Kong’s Beiwei style, bit by bit I saw a more holistic vision— although politics could in fact impact all aspects of our life, it was always the cultural influence which continued to shape life for a few decades, or even for centuries. Wei Bei (a model calligraphy inscripted in Northern Dynasty’s monuments) has existed in a thousand and five hundred years ago, and its artistic legacy is still altering today’s Hong Kong city landscapes. In contrast, last week’s political incidents might have been forgotten now. It makes me focus on type research and design, and less on politics. The thought is not far from political apathy, but I am quite determined as the decision is taken, stemming from the understanding of my career and the social needs. I put my mind to it when the “battlefield” is clearly chosen.

Independent Film — Pseudo Secular《風景》Poster Design

You are a designer, one-half of the design studio Trilingua, as well as the member of the band tfvsjs and cafe SYUT. Do you view yourself a slash? (or a career juggler, who pursues a life with multiple jobs and identities)

Life has a great deal of dimensions, and if these dimensions thrive they would become careers. Quite a lot of ancient people have in fact got on well with their many jobs, just like Northern Song Dynasty’s Su Shi, who was a minister/ poet/ painter/ calligrapher/ gourmet. This phenomenon has never disappeared really.

In the farewell statement of your cafe SYUT you’ve mentioned being a hazy, “grey” person, someone who cannot be defined. So, as a “grey” person, what do you face in Hong Kong? And how do you manage your time and work?

Hong Kong is a uniform society. Starting from secondary education, people are taught following either an arts stream or a science stream. But people are born with different interests and identities, and roles in essence are ambiguous. We relish having these vague identities. Time is certainly scanty, and that’s why we have to allocate our work efficiently, and discipline ourselves for a balanced development.

Trilingua Design Facebook Page

tfvsjs Facebook Page

Video Interview by Sabrina Li

Text by Sabrina Li

#readymade journal #hong kong #young #talents #creativity #people #interview #adonian chan #trilingua #design #font design #typography #hkyt #rmj #readymade people #love hong kong #hktalents #2017

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yawzzzn · 4 years

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Finalmente estoy viendo Elite 🤪

#la segunda temporada porque mi mama y yo queremos verlo juntos pero #yo vivo en mi universidad #por culpa de el virus #finalmente podemos verlo todo #perdona que soy solo bilingua (ahora trilingua) de hablar y entender #no puedo escribir muy bien lol

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xfriendstilltheend · 2 years

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u are my scrunkly scribblydoinky bipsy tootsy badointy tiepnsy bip bop boppie goggiy dinty scruggly duggly big bampidointy dougly goopsie scaboinky pipupsy datootsit

babe are you trilingua? 😭

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parisfind · 3 years

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Belated post from my visits on the Journées du Patrimoine in Paris. A quick look in the College of France. Founded in 1530 by French King Francis I, it was originally the Collegium Trilinguae (College of Three Languages). Today it offers lectures by scholars chosen for eminence in their particular fields without reference to academic qualifications. Sculpture of Champollion the man how deciphered hieroglyphs. Decorated pavilion. Young girl writing while her mother looks at the special exhibition about papyrus. Painting of Francois and ceramic bust of Francois I by della Robbia in the upstairs library. . . . #paris #collegedefrance #parisjetaime #parislife #parisart #parismonamour #parismaville #parislove #pariscity #villedeparis #iloveparis #parisfind (at Collège de France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUSAeUEgQ_x/?utm_medium=tumblr

#paris #collegedefrance #parisjetaime #parislife #parisart #parismonamour #parismaville #parislove #pariscity #villedeparis #iloveparis #parisfind

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readymade-journal-zh · 7 years

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Adonian Chan / 設計師讓字體變成新的時尚

「字體是文字穿的華衣。」— 已故的文字設計大師 Adrian Frutiger 這樣說。

在香港，當很多人對時裝趨之若鶩、樂於為身上的裝扮一擲千金，同是「衣服」的字體卻沒有那樣幸運，除了不受重視，更遑論有人為字體乖乖地掏出錢包。如果人的外表打扮能夠透露出他的個性，那麼從設計師 Adonian 的招牌造型中是否也看到他對舊事物的熱愛呢？偶爾我們可以從他的談吐間發現古人、歷史的痕跡，他甚至展開了對有著悠久歷史根源的北魏真書的設計研究。這個要花長時間、零收入的項目源自 Adonian 希望將它能重新演繹的心。在空餘時間他愛遊走香港的大街小巷，為的是要先學懂欣賞自己的文化— 這並不是一味以懷舊的角度，而是要經過分析，抽絲剝繭地將本地文化精髓找出來。對 Adonian 來說字體不只是文字的外衣，更是歷代和現時文化的載體。也許只有當人們充分理解文字設計的價值，才能讓它變成新的時尚。

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文字設計和書法怎樣體現到香港的文化特色？

香港本來就有深厚的文字文化傳統，而且普及在不同階層的生活應用當中。也許華人文化特別喜歡文字，以��日常生活鋪天蓋地也有文字的存在，大至整層樓高的店舖招牌，小至食用器皿、筷子紙巾等等。

文字風格可以反映一個時代的民族心理或是審美觀—北魏雄健峻厚的風格或多或少反映鮮卑遊牧民族的豪邁氣慨，而銳利凌厲的筆／刀鋒又不禁令人聯想到北魏以先幾百年的戰亂殺戮⋯⋯

香港演變出的北魏圓潤敦厚之餘，又霸氣十足，也許於人口稠密的城市營商，必須令人感覺信實卻又要能脫穎而出？

反觀日本的文字風格多是秀麗含蓄，這或多或少反映他們精細謹慎的處事風格。

你認為要令大眾理解文字設計的最大困難是什麼？

文字設計雖則重要，然而卻不及其他範疇的設計如建築般影響深遠，因為惡劣的文字設計頂多會讀錯字或醜，但惡劣的建築卻可以嚴重到威脅生命安全。所以文字設計的重要性是比較含蓄，亦較難理解。

文字設計主要有三方面的價值：

應用價值—文字的存在是要將腦海本來抽像的思想組織成可以令他人明白的形式，（相反我們思想亦是靠語言去組織）文字就是擔當這種溝通的視覺表達，準確地傳達訊息，所以可讀性及易讀性是衡量這層面的準則。

藝術價值—文字除了作為訊息傳達的工具，其視覺質素則成為了比較間接的，或可稱為第二重的溝通形式。這種溝通形式可以表達直述以外抽象的感受。

文化價值—文字語言是一個文化的核心，因為整個文化的建立都依賴這種方式為主要溝通模式。而因為廣泛被運用，漸漸就產生各種文字美學上的共性，衍生出當時的審美觀。文字設計最有趣的地方在於，其設計精神有如田徑接力賽般延綿不斷，這個接力跑手會承接上一個人的成果，再加入自己一點點的想法成為新的作品。所以文字設計既反映這個時代的文化，亦同時反映歷代的文化。

你在做字體設計研究的時候，有沒有遇到一件顛覆了想法的事？

從前是很積極參與社會運動，每天花很多時間閱讀關於政治的新聞或是文章，亦因為思緒太投入，每當知道一些令人氣憤的消息（基本上是每天也有 bad news）也會令我情緒低落。但自從深入研究香港北魏就慢慢了看到更宏觀的視野—政治的確影響切身生活的所有層面。但能夠影響到幾十年，甚至幾百年後的生活，往往是文化的影響力。魏碑出現在一千五百年之前，但其藝術遺產依然影響著今天香港的城市面貌。相反可能上星期發生的政治事件今天已經忘記了！這個想法令我開始減少留意政治，而專注文字的研究及設計工作。但這種思維與政治冷漠只是一線之差，這種決定是來自了解自己的事業與社會的需要而作出的決定，當清晰選擇好戰場後就必須專心致志去實踐。

獨立電影《風景》Pseudo Secular 海報設計

你除了是設計師，更是 Trilingua 的創辦人、樂隊 tfvsjs 的成員和餐廳「談風：vs：再說」的一分子。那麼你覺得自己是一個「Slash」（斜槓青年）嗎？（即是不再滿足於單一職業，而是選擇過著有多重職業和身分的生活）

生活本身有多種面向，如果這些面向也有積極發展的話就會成為事業吧。其實很多古人都有發展各種事業，例如北宋蘇軾是尚書（官職），亦同是詩人、書畫家、美食家。這種現象其實從來都存在。

在「談風：vs：再說」的結業宣言中提到你們是含糊的角色、是不能被定義的灰色的人。那麼作為「灰色的人」，你在香港面對的是怎樣的處境？你又如何分配好自己的時間和工作？

香港是比較單一的社會，由中學的教育已開始將人簡化成不是文科就是理科的思維。但人其實本身就是有多種興趣、多種身分，角色身分本質就是含糊，而我們這一班人就樂於繼續含糊下去。當然時間有限就只得好好分配工作，必須有紀律才能平衡發展。

Trilingua Design Facebook Page

tfvsjs Facebook Page

Video Interview by Sabrina Li

Text by Sabrina Li