Taipei, May 24 (CNA) London-based jewelry artist Lin Cheung (張翠蓮) has pushed the boundaries of paper with her design of the second Tang Prize award certificates, which were unveiled Tuesday in Taipei.
The certificates, one for each of the four categories of the Tang Prize: sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology and rule of law, are enclosed in gold-colored folders that have a curved design. Unlike traditional award certificates, they can be folded outward or inward, and can be placed upright for display.
Cheung told reporters Tuesday that the design of the four certificates is bound together by the theme of paper, a material that she normally does not work with.
"With silver, or gold or other materials that I've used before, there are familiarities and conventions to think about, but with this one, it was really learning and knowing again about paper and getting excited by it again," she said.
As someone who specializes in 3-D materials, Cheung said paper can appear flat to her.
"In the West, we use the term 'flat' to mean lifeless and dull, but it's everything but dull or flat," she said at an event to unveil the certificates.
For the sustainable development certificate, Cheung said she reconfigured the world map to depict "an imaginary thinking about the future."
The design was inspired by Tang Prize laureate Gro Brundtland and other people in the field of sustainable development who worked hard to bring countries together for a more sustainable world, Cheung said.
The biopharmaceutical science certificate, meanwhile, shows images of the chemical formula of paper, as well as those of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and nitrogen -- elements that make up biological life, she said.
For the Sinology certificate, Cheung broke down and reconstructed the eight basic calligraphic brush strokes that form Chinese characters.
And for the rule of law certificate, Cheung said she used images of handprints to symbolize "lending a hand to those who can't help themselves," as well as to show the giving and receiving of wisdom, goodwill, trust and honor, and the "unmistakable human touch."
Cheung graduated from the Royal College of Art with a master's degree in goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork and jewellery. She designed the medals for the London 2012 Paralympics.
The biennial Tang Prize was established by Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) in 2012 to complement the Nobel Prize. The first Tang Prize award ceremony was held in 2014.
Jennifer Tsai (蔡慧貞), a Taiwanese designer and president of Proad Identity, told reporters Tuesday that the biggest feature of Cheung's design is its simplicity and intuitiveness.
For example, viewers can immediately identify elements of biopharmaceutical science and Sinology from the design, Tsai said, adding that Cheung's design also reflects her deep understanding of Chinese culture.
Meanwhile, at the event held at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, Tsai said local designers often create works that can only be understood by other Chinese.
If the designs are more intuitive and could be understood easily by foreigners, Tsai said she believes it will help more Taiwanese companies break into the international market.
(By Christie Chen)
