/ About the project
The Chinese government uses state-controlled media, pervasive surveillance, and censorship to maintain control. The book explores a paradox: as state control intensifies, a group of Chinese artists uses photography, film, graphic design, and contemporary art to reveal truths at great personal risk. Their work challenges the repressive force of censorship.
/ INDUSTRY
Human Rights
/ SCOPE
Editorial, Visual Identity
/ Credits
Client: Self-Initiated Proposal
Printing: Nonstop Printing
/ Year
2023
Cover
The book cover features a bold rectangular die-cut that reveals a partial view of President Xi behind the title. The artwork, created by cartoonist Badiucao, portrays Chinese student Yang Shuping, who faced online backlash for remarks deemed critical of the government. The composition captures the risks of political expression in China.
Interior
SEEK TRUTH spans 72 pages of premium coated paper and is organized into three sections. The first, A History of Oppression, traces how Chinese citizens have endured government oppression. The second, Voices of Resistance, focuses on contemporary Chinese artists who risk their lives to defy the CCP. The final section, A Silent Unity, examines the strategies used by protesters and ordinary citizens to amplify their voices in a perilous political landscape.
Poster
The launch poster, displayed prominently in Chinatown, features a defaced portrait of Chairman Mao. A torn opening reveals the title beneath the image.
A secondary version appeared across Los Angeles, extending awareness of the censorship faced by Chinese artists.
The book measures 8 × 12 inches, mirroring the aspect ratio of the Little Red Book. An eight-column grid provides structure and flexibility for a range of article lengths and formats.
Image-Making Process
To create a unified visual language, I altered the artworks by cutting and tearing them, then adding red paint. I scanned the resulting compositions and integrated them into the layouts.
A 1971 propaganda poster from China's Cultural Revolution shows a factory worker holding the Little Red Book, a symbol of ideology spreading to the masses.
With the CCP controlling social media and news, the smartphone has become the regime's new propaganda tool. I reimagined that evolution by placing the original poster beside a contemporary version in which the worker holds a smartphone instead of the Little Red Book.
