Newsletter No. 212

T he Un i v e r s i t y 's 4 0 t h a n n i v e r s a ry l o g o is designed by famous graphic designer Mr . Kan Tai-keung of K a n a nd L au De s i gn Consultants. I n presenting the client's brief, the representatives of the 4 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y Co- o r d i n a t i ng a nd W o r k i n g Committee provided Mr. Kan w i t h the University emblem, the 40t h anniversary slogan, and p r e v i ous ann i v e r s a ry designs for reference, and r e l a y e d t h e w o r k i n g commi t t ee 's view s on the previous designs. Throughout t h e d e s i g n p r oces s, t he University gave me and my team a lot of freedom,' says Mr. Kan, whose extensive portfolio i n c l u d es a s s i gnmen ts by g o v e r nme n t s, k e y p u b l ic organizations, and household names i n an ove rwhe lmi ng array of industries the wo r ld over. He was also one of the 100 graphic designers selected for introduction by IDEA, the world's second oldest design magazine, in 1993. 'We took the University emblem, its colours, as well as the slogan into consideration, because after all, the f i nal i m a g e b e l o n g s t o t h e o r g a n i z a t i on an d n ot t he designer. Our freedom lies in c r e a t i o n w i t h i n p r e s et conditions.' The logo resulting f r om Mr. Kan's magic features the profile of a soaring phoenix wh o se shape is made to resemble the Arabic numerals '40' — the wings and upper torso form an elegant '4' while the tail w i t h its big flourish forms a The concept of the soaring phoenix comes f r om the University emblem and the Ch i n e se v e r s i o n of t he anniversary slogan ' 騰飛四十 •精進日新 '. ' T he phoenix in the Un i v e r s i ty emb l em is s i m i l a r t o t h e p h o e n i x prototype inscribed on ancient bronzes. This type of phoenix tends to be more ornate and decorative, w i t h the texture of its feathers h i g h l i g h t ed i n relief. We decided to make the anniversary phoen ix mo re mode rn by giving it cleaner and simpler lines and a sense of rhythm,' Mr. Kan explains. Colour-wise, the anniversary p h o e n i x is a c r ea t i ve re- interpretation of the gold and p u r p l e of t he U n i v e r s i ty emblem: its head is in gold which darkens progressively towards the lower parts of the wings and body, to end in a purple tail that lightens to gold again at the top of its curve. This gives the phoenix a sense of motion and three-dimensionality. It also signifies the harmonious merging of the yin and the yang, Mr. Kan says. There is also a single colour variation and a black-and-white variation. Mr. Kan has also given the University the printing standards for the different colour variations of the logo. While previous anniversary logos also incorporated the phoenix design w i t h Arabic numerals, Mr. Kan points out that in this one, the mythical creature has an 'organic relationship' w i th the numerals. 'We wanted to f i nd a more innovative way to express the t wo elements, so instead of putting them side-by-side as two separate entities, we let the one express the other by its very shape. This livens up the phoenix and the logo,' he says. M r . K a n o r i g i n a l l y presented the University w i th six designs. The Un i v e r s i ty shortlisted tw o and eventually picked this one, wh i ch has a more cosmopolitan flair. Mr. Kan has also prepared different variations of the design for use on anniversary stationery and souvenirs. An oval-shaped rendition of the phoenix logo with the tail encircling the letters 'CUHK' will be put on a souvenir pin (see right); the phoenix will appear in gold against a purple background. A well-designed image, like the 40th anniversary logo, crystallizes concepts, expressing all at once the past, the present, and the future, the spiritual, the emotional, the physical, and above all, the genius of t he designer. Piera Chen A 40th Anniversary Souvenir of The Chinese University of Hong Kong " C U H KPer spec t i ves"Porcelain Plate Series Manufactured by Royal Doulton, world renowned British maker of fine china A collection of timeless value Set of six finel y made porcelain plates with water- colour designs, each showing a unique perspective of the CUHK campus, all selected from recent paintings of Mr. Wang Mingming, a highly- regarded Chinese painter. Comes in two sizes (diameter: 27.5 cm for "L" size and 20.8 cm for "M" size) Each set is accompanied by an information booklet, a Certificate of Origin with a unique serial number, and six plate stands All plates are attractive show-pieces and perfectly safe tableware Special discount for purchases before June 30. 30, 2003 "L" siz e HK$600 Regular Price : HK$ 720 per set of 6 "M" size HK$500 Regular Price : HK$ 600 per set of 6 Limited edition. Get Yours early. For sale from January 2003 at Souvenir Counter on G/F of John Fulton Centre The Chinese University of Hong Kong For enqu i r y , please call 2609-7863