Press Release
A' Design Award in Digital Art Goes to Balhae Character Design by Ziwan Li
The international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Ziwan Li for digital art
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, March 5, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Balhae Character Design by Ziwan Li has been granted the A' Design Award in the Digital Art category. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Balhae Character Design
The background of the project follows apprentice Junghyae and her mentor, Master Yoo, summoned to Gyeru village to banish spirits from the seas. Their journey unveils Balhae's culture and mystical practices. This character design project pays homage to Balhae's civilization, blending history and fantasy. The artist's fascination with history, culture, and fashion not only imbues this design project with aesthetic appeal and functional storytelling but also adds a sense of historical weight and a touch of poetry to it.
About Ziwan Li
Graduated from the renowned ArtCenter College of Design in the USA. Contributed to AAA game art design for titles like The Apex Legends and PubG. Later, I was invited to Marvel Studios as a character designer for The Golden City animated series. My accolades include awards from the International Frontier Innovation Design Art Competition and the Japan Illustrators' Association. Drawing from a tapestry of diverse experiences, I've always been keen on exploring new ways to convey stories through design. It's this quiet dedication to the craft that has shaped my journey in the art world.
Award Record
This recognition makes Ziwan Li a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Digital Art Award
The A' Digital Art Design Award is an international digital art competition recognizing good digital art by leading digital artists and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to digital art designers, digital artists, graphic designers and illustrators from all countries. Entries typically include digital art, animations, illustrations, 3D models, digital paintings and vector artworks. Awarded digital art designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/digital-art
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/158219
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/158219
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!158219
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/349212
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://rb.gy/6nks14
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Balhae Character Design
- Function
- Character Design
- Category
- Digital Art
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Entertainment
- Colors
- Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dark Olive Green, Light Gray and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Ziwan Li
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #158219
Credits
- Image Credits
- Image Ziwan Li, Master Yoo Traveling Outfit, 2022.; Image Ziwan Li, Apprentice Junghyae, 2022.; Image Ziwan Li, Apprentice Junghyae Ritual Outfit, 2022. 2022.; Image Ziwan Li, Mermaid, 2022.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Set in the flourishing ancient kingdom of Balhae, 926 CE, this story follows apprentice Junghyae and her mentor, Master Yoo, called to Gyeru village. Tasked with banishing spirits from the shallow seas to ensure safe mermaid hunting for the locals, their journey illuminates the era's rich culture and mystical practices. This character design project is a visual homage to Balhae's lost civilization, blending history and fantasy through art.
- Inspiration
- The artist is deeply fascinated by the nuances of history, culture, and historical fashion. They delved into the history of the lost kingdom of Balhae, marveling at the richness and vibrancy of a culture that thrived thousands of years ago. They felt a profound sense of loss for such cultures that have vanished in the tides of history. Inspired by Balhae's legacy, they embarked on a creative journey to resurrect this long-forgotten culture through a fantasy narrative.
- Research
- To reconstruct the lost civilization of Balhae authentically, I extensively researched historical descriptions, geographical studies, and neighboring societies. This included delving into customs, religious practices, military strength, and climate conditions of nearby regions like the Tang Dynasty, Khitans, Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla. Synthesizing this data, I engaged in speculation to envision Balhae's unique cultural identity, creating a credible representation of its vibrant society. This project aimed to honor Balhae's historical significance and imagine the daily lives of its people.
- Challenge
- Balhae was a historical kingdom that was conquered by the Khitans in 926 CE. Its legacy is somewhat enigmatic due to the scarcity of surviving artifacts, artworks, or detailed contemporary accounts about its culture, as it faded from history centuries ago. Undertaking a project to resurrect Balhae's rich cultural tapestry without abundant reference material was a formidable challenge.
- Realization and Technology
- Character designs in this series are designed with pencil and rendered in Procreate software and Photoshop CC software.
- Operation and Interaction
- The key of this design lies in reviving lost cultures through a meticulous fusion of imagination and the scant textual references sourced by the artist from academic literature, paintings, and sculptures of neighboring countries associated with the lost culture. By imaginatively blending these elements, the artist breathes life into the forgotten cultural narratives.
- Project Duration and Location
- 2 months, Los Angeles, January 2022
- Specifications
- size: 127 cm * 127 cm, 300 dpi
- Keywords
- 2D, Character Design, Digital Arts, Fantasy, History
