Between Art and Graphics

From programme brochures to promotional trailers, the AAGFF’s graphic materials have been characterised by a playful and distinctive look. Here we talk to the festival’s Art Director Wing Shya and Graphic Designer Tomson Chan about their collaboration.

In the spirit of the avant-garde, the collaboration is driven by a shared vision to try something different and new. From using AI to remaster Shya’s old photos to animating the AAGFF logo designed by Chan, the two creatives have contributed to a strong visual identity for the festival that embodies the dynamism of moving images.

‘We had a very clear division of responsibilities, and [Shya] gave me a lot of freedom. He focused on rendering his beautiful artwork—without which the visuals would not have been so stunning. I focused on how I could make the graphic and typography systems react to these visuals,’ recalls Chan. He describes the art and the graphic as two layers: separate, but incomplete without each other. Chan further adds, ‘I believe the reason behind our seamless collaboration was because I have great respect for his artwork'. Instead of competing to be the main focus, the graphic design embraces the artwork and acts as the finishing touch for the visuals.

From casual snapshots to stills of old projects, the images used for the programme have been sourced from Shya’s vast photography collection. ‘This is the part I find most fun about collaboration—when your work collides with others and you don't know what they're going to do with it,’ Shya explains, ‘then it comes out, and you really like it! It really is as simple as that.’ With a mutual enthusiasm for each other’s work, it is no wonder that the results are also brimming with this synergy.