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Chi Wei LinWHEN WESTERN MEET THE EASTERN
The typography landscape in Taiwan has witnessed a growing trend towards standardization, with a predominant focus on Western minimalism and Japanese aesthetics. This contrasts starkly with the typography scene in Taiwan during the 1950s. This phenomenon has occurred in most Eastern countries due to globalization and the pervasiveness of Westernized design education.
To address this shift, I aim to encourage young designers to delve into the history of traditional Chinese design and explore Chinese type design archives from the past rather than solely relying on Western resources. In today’s Chinatown, the typography landscape is extremely different from what it is now in Taiwan. Taiwan has a far more Westernized typography landscape compared to that in Chinatown in America. It is crucial for people to be mindful of the dominance of Western influences in design education that has shaped the typography landscape today. Typography reflects cultural aesthetics and history. It loses diversity when one typography system begins to dominate. Eastern cultures are increasingly leaning toward Western aesthetics in education and typography. In doing so, we risk losing our original identity and uniqueness. I believe there are other ways of embracing the difference between Eastern and Western styles while preserving our own.
Magazine spread, 10 × 17 in.
10 × 8¾ in.
Poster, 18 × 24 in.
Ticket, 2½ × 6 in.
Typeface inspired by Brush/Translation/ Expansion model.