Liankun Sun
PL_Y/彳_亍
Publication
2021
"PL_Y"/"彳_亍" is a project that seeks to find Chinese words that don’t have an English equivalent. Pl y means folding and is used as a metaphor to show the exchange of cultural meaning and processes. In this interplay of two languages, font extends to a transitional method to deliver information. With this idea of translation, and I created a font called, "彳 亍"."彳 亍"(xing). Xing has two meanings, one definition is "do-able" or "ok," and the other is "go" or "walk." This work is a collaborative process that encourages the participation of viewers and aims to fill the missing space between the words, which represents the overlap of the two cultures. And the core visual identity for the project is two parts working together. "PL_Y" publication takes form of a Zine package, a website, and a set of fonts. The zine is divided into two parts, a physical zine about the mistranslated Chinese words, and a postcard with a short introduction about the project. The website offers an event website, which focuses on displaying the physical outcomes, and a font presentation that showcases the original type.
