Raikes Lion: International Graphic Designer Series

Author: He Jianping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The term "globalization" has had a profound impact on our era. It has seeped into every corner of culture through the economy, and the regionalism of world design is rapidly disappearing. The boundaries of design from different nations have become indistinguishable. This theory has also been discussed and accepted by most designers in many contexts. Under this trend, public attention will directly focus on designers with distinct style symbols. Successful designers always incorporate personal character, living environment, and feedback from social influences into their creations, making their designs an expression of their design concepts, life philosophy, aesthetic tastes, and perceptions of the times. In his book The Arts of Mankind, A. de Saint-Exupéry states, "Life is the greatest art of mankind." I believe life is also the creative source and driving force for designers. Therefore, I have attempted to introduce some truly outstanding designers by exploring the conceptual connection between "design + life." This series introduces: Rosemary Tiss from Zurich, a distinguished representative of the Swiss typographic style and undoubtedly a symbol of world female designers; Georges Stella from Switzerland, a "recluse" among international graphic designers, whose works vividly interpret simplicity and wisdom; Tadao Ando from Tokyo, widely known in China, with over 40 years of experience in graphic design. His works always embody the leadership of fashion; Philippe Apelo from Paris, where text composition is the dominant factor in his designs, filling them with a humanistic touch; Leonardo Sonori from Italy, also renowned for his text design, yet his works are filled with experimental styles; Pekka Rautio from Northern Finland, whose designs reveal a colorful world far from the stark landscapes of his homeland; Christophe Geiger, a professor at the University of Arts in Kassel, Germany, whose works embody his deep understanding of literature and music; and Leiko Igarashi from Germany, David Tartakovsky from Israel, and the Argentine ghost studio, with Anabel Sal and Gabriela Mateo, who offer a different interpretation of design. This is the political engagement of design and the elevation of designers' social consciousness. Their works almost touch upon all the issues of the modern world: war, violence, hunger, poverty, disease, and the environment. I introduce this design category in the series because every society has inequalities and vulnerable groups. Designers' real participation in social reality will make the profession of "design" approach perfection.