Yufei Qin (she/her)
Yufei Qin (Faye) is a Chinese graphic designer and visual communicator specialising in editorial and packaging design. Using graphics and typography as visual approaches, she experimented with the notion of books, the visual properties of pictograms, the potential for open collaboration, the contextualised expressions and imaginative spaces between Chinese characters, and the ensuing open-ended narratives in practice.
This year, her work has been focused on educational and cultural issues – explored through playful, interactive forms and a broad multidisciplinary approach.
Psyche
(A Critical Investigation of the Chinese Education System)
Publication, Loose Leaf Ring Binding
Psyche represents the human soul, here symbolised by the wings of a butterfly. This project illustrates how, in my opinion, young people in China are restricted by the utilitarian education system – using the metaphor of a butterfly bound in a cocoon.
Psyche is presented as a School Correction Book that critically investigates the current focus and deficiencies of the Chinese education system. The book encourages young people to recognise their restrictions, to develop independent thought, and to break free.
Sacred Beasts
A Rubber stamp set, workshops and promotional materials
The Forbidden City is a palace complex in Beijing. Its historical and cultural connotations are rich in substance, however, its’ ridged guardian beast statues are lesser-known, standing guard in silence.
In Sacred Beasts, I use a rubber-stamp set and a series of workshops to creatively and educationally present and decode the myths and symbolism of the sacred beasts, focusing on exploring the stories behind them, and the charm of traditional culture from the perspective of Generation Z.
What it aimed to convey was not only the issue of cultural identity and confidence but also a critique of the rigidity of contemporary communication mediums and the loss of spiritual connotations and innovative aesthetic expression in traditional cultural-themed artworks.
They Tell Me
Zines, Risograph printing
They Tell Me aimed to promote gender equality and gender identity by focusing on gender awareness and the LGBTQ+ community in China. It is a rarely discussed topic in China, but such groups must be supported and encouraged to express themselves rather than face verbal and physical abuse.
Through four issues of zines, They Tell Me investigated music, literature, school violence, and a glossary in the LGBTQ+ community.
