Chopin
210
Brief
Celebrate Chopin’s 210th Birthday
Client
Polish Embassy Dublin
Year
2020
Brief
The Polish Embassy in Dublin held a poster competition for local graphic design students to commemorate Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin’s 210th birthday in the spring of 2020. Inspired by the rich history of Polish poster designs, I embraced the opportunity to create something handmade, which I then translated to a digital design.
Process
I kept the colors simple: red and white for the Polish flag, with black to round it out. I noticed when I created a cutout of the piano’s body that the negative space it created in the black paper could be used to create the bulk of Chopin’s profile, while the piano served a dual purpose for his signature flowing locks.
In the spirit of further repurposing paper scraps in the poster, I decided to use the red cutouts created by the “o” and “p” holes as emphasis marks on Chopin’s brow and cheek. Final typographic cutout details were added to describe the occasion and the dates.
Solution
The final poster is visually interesting without being too fussy. The basic information is communicated in a clear hierarchy and the paper cutout illustration creates a simple yet engaging homage to one of Poland’s favorite children.
The winner of the design competition was chosen via popular vote on the Polish Embassy’s Facebook page. While I didn’t win, I am proud of the work and consider it a reminder of the merits of experimenting with physical media instead of diving straight into digital design.
