“Colors To Be Heard” is a work on synaesthesia, the overlapping of two or more senses in perception, such as in seeing sound. Inspired by Chinese folk music, the two volumes present the colour spectrum of eight folk songs created according to the timbre produced by the four folk music instruments of the cucurbit flute, chimes, pipa and erhu. Each volume consists of a colour spectrum and a music score section, which were printed and bound so that one section opens from the left and the other from the right. The colour spectra have been created to match the song melodies and labelled with the professional CMYK data. The right side of each page shows selected colour combinations and visualises them with original illustrations, allowing each folk song to be understood also through the illustration and, in turn, making the colour scheme recognisable in the illustration. The score section presents the eight songs through font design and unique graphic visual effects that aim at expressing the beauty of traditional folk music.
Statement by the Jury
This work inspires to listen to Chinese folk music. Following a synaesthetic approach, the opulent colour spectra of the work not only convey the richness of the traditional soundscapes, they also translate the tones and timbres into tactile experiences by featuring embossed printing. The variety of colours is contrasted by a reduced appearance and an excellently implemented notation, making the work extremely exciting to experience.
Credits
University:
Shanghai Publishing and Printing College, Shanghai, China
Supervising Professor:
Fang Wu
Design:
Qing-Ying Zhou, Qi-Wen Li, Shanghai Publishing and Printing College
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