To Lucia Phạm, a young graphic designer and illustrator, creating a personal project for the Lunar New Year has become an annual tradition. This year, instead of crafting static images, Lucia went all-out with an animated video to showcase Tết well-wishes.
In an interview with Saigoneer, Lucia Phạm shares that she started brainstorming ideas and executing the project at the end of 2021 to get it ready to premiere in January 2022. “Generating ideas for the wishes took the longest. I searched high and low for the best and most suitable lines. When put together in a sequence, they need to connect logically and should not repeat in content or rhythm,” she explains.
The visual to demonstrate the wish: "Chúc vạn sự khởi đầu bình an/Lộc tràn vào tủ, tài tràn vào nhà."
Lucia came up with the final list of phrases so that they have an acceptable flow similar to a poem stanza:
Chúc vạn sự khởi đầu bình an / A smooth start for all endeavors
Lộc tràn vào tủ, tài tràn vào nhà / Luck fills the wardrobe, wealth fills the home
Phúc đem lễ nghĩa trong nhà thịnh / Fortune brings prosperity to the home
Lộc nảy vinh hoa phú quý xuân / An auspicious spring thanks to serendipity
Vạn sự cát tường – Toàn gia hạnh phúc / Luck for all deeds – Happy family
In the video, there are a host of elements taken from traditional art forms and Tết customs, from water puppet shows and the Ngũ Hổ painting, to trays of candied Tết treats. In the third scene, as the accompanying illustration for “Tống cựu nghênh tân,” Lucia choreographed a procession featuring a herd of buffaloes leaving to make way for a pack of tigers.
"Tống cựu nghênh tân."
When asked about her choice of color palette and how she dramatized the animation, Lucia says: “To me, showcasing New Year wishes is a spiritual project, so visual components need to be intensified and hyperbolic in nature. For instance, the tiger figure at the beginning was deliberately imposing. I really like such intense imagery.”
To demonstrate “Vạn sự cát tường – Toàn gia hạnh phúc,” she brings in a mysterious pink female figure. According to Lucia, this is a representational visual choice symbolizing four members of her own family waving to one another, passing around gold nuggets while surrounded by details that bring to mind contentment and felicity.
Have a look at the full video below:
See more works by Lucia Phạm on her Behance page or personal website.
