A little story on
the artwork...

PHOENIxFISH is an allusion to Sky and Water II by Dutch artist M. C. Escher. Whilst the basis of tessellation formula is retained, the design of the illustrations are phoenixes and goldfishes – both creatures have strong symbolism in the Chinese customs and folklore. The phoenix signifies peace, prosperity and is said to rebirth out of ash symbolising the constant striving spirit. Goldfishes represent good fortune, prosperity, and abundance. Crafting the morphing motifs of phoenix as water and the altering goldfishes as the sky, amplifies the harmonisation powers of these symbols.

The phoenixes ascend in the upward direction with increasing details, and the fish, in the downward direction with added textures. But as the fish progress upward and the phoenixes downward, they gradually lose their shapes to become a uniform background of sky and water, respectively.

The name play of the artwork, especially the double usage of the letter ‘X’, uses the collaborative trends of partnership culture in the 21st century. Likewise, X is represented as multiply in mathematical formulas and this is befitting in the construction of tessellations technicalities. The visual elements multiply and unite into a simple visual representation, but separately each forms a point of departure for untold adventures.

Paper textures and printing effects

The pastel pink infused pearlescent papers has a touch of opulence, further enhanced with the gold hot stamp and embossing effects on the outlines of the phoenix and fish elements. The raised outlines felt on the paper surface provides a sensory experience to the illusion, coupled with the magenta hue to clearly distinguish the sky, water, phoenix and goldfish. The sheen, shimmer, and colour balances the visual illusions with perfection.