The Gallery

信香 Faith Incense

Zhiirong Chen | Sulli Chen

National Taiwan University of Arts, Taiwan

Fine Art - Graphic Design / Print

Category Semifinalist

信香・お信香・Faith incense

        信香是以環保理念為出發點設計的⼀款環保香包裝。焚香在東⽅⽂化中⼀直代表著重要的意涵，⼈們認為隨著裊裊⽽⽣的青煙，⼼中所想的意念也能隨之上達天廳，將願望傳達給神明，藉此得到神明的庇佑。隨著近年環保意識抬頭，空氣汙染議題不斷挑戰著焚香⽂化繼續存在的必要性，但這⼀項承襲了千年的傳統，也不容易就從⽣活中完全被割捨，因此推廣相較以往所使⽤的香來說能減少70%煙霧的環保香，是⽬前最可⾏的解決⽅式。既能為環保盡⼀份⼼⼒，也同時能維持傳承千年的信仰⽂化。

        お信香は環境保全の理念から設計したエコ線香のパッケージデザインだ。東方にお線香を焚くことは重要な意義を持っている。上がった煙と共に心の思いも神様の所に届け、願いを叶えてくれる。この数年、環境保全の意識が高まり、香文化が必要とされるかと大気汚染についての議題は討論されている。しかし千年の伝統として、香文化を生活から切り捨てにくいだ。なので、70％の煙を減らすエコ線香は、今のところ最も良い解決策だと思う。環境保全にも役に立ち、千年の信仰文化も伝承できる。

         Faith incense is a set of packaging for eco-friendly incense based on the design concept of environmental protection. Burning incense always represents a very important implication in the eastern culture. People believe the thoughts in their mind will be able to reach gods in the heaven along with the smoke curling upwards and they are able to deliver their wishes to gods in order to receive blessings by gods. Along with the increasing awareness of protecting the environment in recent years, the issue of air pollution keeps challenging the necessity of continuing the culture of burning incense. However, it carries forward the tradition of a thousand years and is not easy to be completely given up from our daily life. As a result, the eco-friendly incense that reduces 70% smoke compared to the incense used in the past is promoted as the most feasible solution at the moment. We not only can contribute our effort towards environment protection but also maintain the religion culture with history of a thousand years.

        台灣香的包裝一般以塑膠袋裝，對環境非常不友善，因此我們選用了較為環保的紙材取代原本的塑膠作為包材。在主視覺部分以神明作為設計主體，期許帶給來到廟中的信眾及觀光客強烈的視覺印象。在包裝外型上以「籤」作為整體造形，抽籤在信仰文化中，代表著傳達神明旨意的意涵，藉由抽出的籤，與相對應的籤詩，來取得神明對所求之事的答覆。此包裝透過神明的形象、籤的外形、與商品「香」本⾝三者結合，傳達神明與人之間的關係。

       商品名稱——信香(Faith incense)的取名意涵源⾃與神明信仰相關的俗諺「⼼誠則靈」，意思是只要存著虔誠的⼼來向神明祈求，神明必能聽到你的祈求並應允你所祈求的願望。為了表達焚香這個動作的同時，只要帶著虔誠的信念，願望就能與青煙⼀同上達天際此⼀意念，將「信」與「香」兩者結合作為商品名。

         普段台湾線香の包装はビニール袋入り、環境にはやさしくないので、私たちは紙を包装材にしたんだ。キービジュアルは神様のイメージで、信者や観光客に強い視覚的印象を与える。パッケージデザインはくじのイメージを造形とする。伝統的な信仰でおみくじは神様の意志を表す。引いたみくじ箋の内容により、願い事に対する神様からのお返事を得る。この包装作品は神様のイメージ、くじの造形、商品本体の線香を組み合わせ、神様と人とのつながりを伝える。

商品名のお信香(Faith incense)の由来は、信仰に関わることわざの「信ずれば叶う」だ。意味は誠心誠意を含めて神様に願ったら、神様が祈りを聞いて願いを叶えてくれる。誠心誠意線香を焚くなら、願いは煙と共に天界まで上がっていく。それをもって「信」と「香」を結合し、商品名にしたんだ。

        The package of the incense in Taiwan is usually packed with plastic bags and it is also not eco-friendly. Therefore, we choose paper materials as the packing materials. Gods are used as the key feature of design in terms of main vision with the expectation of providing strong vision impression to followers and visitors that come to the temple. A fortune stick is used as the overall design for packing. Drawing a fortune stick represents the implication of delivering gods’ intention in the traditional belief, and the response from gods towards the things people praying for is obtained from the context corresponding to the fortune stick drew. The package delivers the relationship between gods and people through the image of gods, the appearance of the fortune stick, and the product which is the incense.

        The implication of the name of the product, faith incense, originated from the common saying related to religion; that is “genuineness leads to realization”. It means as long as we pray to gods with a sincere heart, gods will definitely be able to hear what we pray and fulfil our wishes. In order to express that the wish will be able to reach the heaven with the smoke curling upwards when we carry the sincere belief during the behavior of burning the incense, we combine “faith” and “incense” as the name of the product.

        在主視覺方面，除了繪製各尊神明的特色外，環繞著紅雲亦代表著神明居之地及吉祥的意味。同時也呼應了神仙乘著五彩紅雲的傳說。在標準字則將焚香之後飄上青天的縷縷青煙此一概念視覺化並加入設計當中，信的人字部則是參考了神明的手杖。神明名字的字體則以上展下寬呈現穩重感，並選擇黑體來做變化，使包裝視覺不會過於傳統。

        キービジュアルでは、各神様の特徴を描き出した以外、周りに浮かぶ赤い雲は神様たちが住む世界及び吉兆を表し、神様が彩の赤い雲に乗っている伝説にも対応している。書き文字は線香の煙が香炉から天界までのイメージを設計に入れ込み、「信」の部首「人」は神様の手杖を参考にしたんだ。神様のかたちは下が幅広くて安定感を表現し、黑体字を使って包装の見た目はそんなに伝統じゃない。

        In terms of main vision, other than painting the features for each God, the red cloud surrounded also represents the location of gods’ residence and luck as well as reflects the myth of gods riding on the colorful red clouds. As for the font of the text, the details of the incense on the burner going up to the heaven is designed with the human on the Chinese character of “faith” referring to gods’ cane. The image of gods are represented with extension on upper part and wider on the lower part to show the sense of steadiness and blackletter is used to make sure the vision on packaging won’t be too traditional.

以上為信香(Faith incense)的包裝設計概念說明，謝謝您的耐心閱讀。

The above is a description of the packaging design concept of Faith incense.  Thank you for watching!

View project on Behance