Chinese Zodiac (1/2)
Overview
Chinese Zodiac (1/2) is a typographic book I designed exploring the first six animals of the Chinese lunar calendar. Every element is built from type: letters shaped into animals, words composed into characters, and text becoming image at every turn.
The illustrations draw on Xu Bing's Square Word Calligraphy, organizing English letters into structures that resemble Chinese characters. Each animal is built from its own English name, making the meaning readable regardless of language background. The (1/2) in the title reflects an open-ended system, with the remaining six animals left for a potential second volume.
Design Language
Typography as Animal
Every animal is built entirely from letters.
Square Word Calligraphy
I reorganized each animal's English name into a structure that looks like a Chinese character.
Layout & Grid
I built each spread on a grid system, letting the layout shift with each animal's personality.
