Girls with Chess

Editorial Illustration for Mengyao Guo

Showcasing themes of gender equality, this illustration is a striking piece designed with social movements or thought-provoking articles in mind. The artwork captures a riveting scene of two girls immersed in a chess game, a bold move of toppling the King piece symbolizing their challenge to patriarchal norms. The exploration of binary identities is further emphasized through the strategic use of contrasting colors, orange and blue, creating dynamic situational states that invite deeper interpretation.

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Download Press Kit № 154267 Editorial Illustration for Mengyao Guo by Mengyao GUO to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.

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Girls with Chess by Mengyao GUO

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Editorial Illustration by Mengyao GUO

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Mengyao GUO Girls with Chess

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Mengyao GUO Editorial Illustration

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Unique Properties

This illustration is designed to highlight issues related to gender, ideally for an article or social movement campaign. It features two girls engrossed in a game of chess, one of them toppling the King piece, while the other watches. The artwork explores binary identities and the interplay of dual colors, orange and blue, to evoke various situational states.

Tags

Illustration, Gender, Equality, Communication, Visual Symbolism

Production Technology

The illustration was made using Adobe Photoshop, a leading graphic design software. Photoshop's diverse toolset facilitated nuanced color blending, detailed texture creation, and precise element placement. Its layer-based approach allowed for complex composition building. The high-resolution output ensured the illustration's quality was maintained across various digital and print applications.

Design Challenge

The main challenge was to create an illustration that effectively communicates complex themes of gender equality and societal norms. Balancing aesthetics and message clarity while ensuring the artwork was thought-provoking but not overly didactic required careful design decisions. Research into gender issues, color symbolism, and visual metaphors was crucial in addressing this challenge, ultimately leading to an evocative and meaningful illustration.

Project Duration

The project started and finished in September 2020 in China.

Operation Flow

As a visual piece, this illustration invites viewer interaction through its symbolic elements: the chess scene and the color interplay prompt thoughts on gender roles and equality. As a digital artwork, it's easily shared and displayed across platforms, enhancing accessibility and facilitating discourse on the depicted social issues. The illustration thus catalyzes conversations about gender norms and societal structures.

Research

The illustration was developed after researching gender issues and visual symbolism. The investigation encompassed an understanding of societal norms associated with gender, cultural implications of color, and the power of visual metaphors. This research informed the design, from the symbolic chess game to the gender-associated colors, resulting in a provocative artwork that fosters dialogue on gender equality and societal structures.

Inspiration

This illustration draws inspiration from the ongoing dialogue around gender issues and equality. It uses the metaphor of a chess game, traditionally seen as a strategic and intellectual pursuit, to underscore the abilities and potential of women in challenging societal norms and structures. The act of the girls toppling the King piece represents dismantling patriarchal norms.

Image Credits

Image #1: Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022. Image #2: Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022. Image #3: Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022. Image #4: Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022. Image #5: Illustrator Mengyao Guo, Girls with Chess, 2022.

Project Overview

Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration has been a Iron winner in the Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design award category in the year 2023 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. 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.

Iron Recognition

Mengyao GUO was recognized with the coveted Iron A' Design Award in 2024, a testament to excellence of their work Girls with Chess Editorial Illustration.

Mengyao GUO Newsroom

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