AIC 阅读月 Part 3｜“书封设计展”与“一本有声书的诞生”

AY24-25 AIC Reading Month Part 3

在AIC阅读月的余韵中，一场别开生面的跨学科艺术展览悄然拉开帷幕——书封设计展。此次展览以三本文学作品为创作蓝本：《The Hunger Games》《American Born Chinese》和《雷雨》，同学们在深入阅读与文本剖析的基础上，以传统版画技艺为媒介，将文学的情感张力转化为直观可感的视觉语言，赋予书封全新的解读维度。

每位学生分别创作两幅作品，在艺术实践中融入对文学内容的独立理解。为了呈现出具有风格辨识度的视觉语言，他们尝试了不同的色彩方案和印刷技术。

Amid the lingering resonance of AIC Reading Month, a unique interdisciplinary art exhibition quietly unfolded—the Book Cover Design Showcase. Drawing inspiration from three literary works—The Hunger Games, American Born Chinese, and Thunderstorm—students transformed their reading experiences and literary analysis into compelling visual language through the medium of traditional printmaking, giving each cover a fresh and imaginative interpretation.

Each student created two pieces, embedding their independent understanding of the texts into their artistic practice. To develop a visually distinctive style, they experimented with various color schemes and printmaking techniques.

Constance这组《雷雨》的书封作品通过版画形式巧妙展现出戏剧中的压抑氛围与人物冲突。画面采用阴刻与阳刻相结合的技法，勾勒出对称的中式庭院结构，雷电划破天幕，寓意剧中即将爆发的情感风暴。左侧作品以深灰纸为底，色彩克制，强调家族旧宅的沉重感；右侧则以蓝白晕染背景呈现风雨交加之势，红色线条勾勒建筑轮廓，形成强烈视觉对比。两幅作品在色彩选择、肌理处理与主题表现上各具特色，不仅展示了学生对文本的深入理解，也体现了他们对版画技法的灵活运用。

Constance’s book cover designs, skillfully convey the play’s atmosphere of repression and emotional conflict through printmaking. Employing a combination of relief and intaglio techniques, she illustrated a symmetrical traditional Chinese courtyard, with lightning slashing through the sky—symbolizing the impending emotional storm within the story. The left piece, printed on deep grey paper with a muted palette, emphasizes the heaviness of the ancestral home, while the right piece uses a blue-and-white blended background to suggest stormy weather, with red outlines of the architecture creating stark visual contrast. Together, the two works highlight Constance’s nuanced interpretation of the text and her refined command of printmaking techniques.

Mika 的《American Born Chinese》书封设计，通过中美文化意象的并置，呈现主人公在文化夹缝中追寻身份认同的内心挣扎。画面上方是长城、故宫与龙等中国传统符号，下方则是自由女神像与美国城市景观，象征东西方文化的碰撞与共存。她特别加入了孙悟空形象，呼应书中对身份迷失与自我认同的探讨。作品采用阳刻技法，线条清晰，构图完整。左图主色调为绿色，传达开放与希望的情绪；右图则以紫色为主，营造出更具反思意味的氛围。右下角隐约重叠的人物印痕，象征主人公不断重构自我的过程。整体作品既富象征意味，也展现出Mika对文学主题的深刻理解与艺术化呈现能力。

Mika’s book cover design, presents a powerful visual interpretation of the protagonist’s struggle with cultural identity through the juxtaposition of Chinese and American symbols. The upper div of the composition features the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and a dragon—traditional Chinese icons—while the lower div displays the Statue of Liberty and modern American cityscapes, symbolizing the clash and coexistence of Eastern and Western cultures.

She also includes the figure of the Monkey King, referencing the novel’s theme of identity confusion and self-discovery. Using relief printing (yangke) techniques, Mika created clean and structured linework to express her concepts. The left print features a green palette, conveying openness and hope, while the right one uses purples to evoke a more introspective and contemplative mood. The faint overlapping silhouettes of a character in the bottom corner further represent the protagonist’s ongoing journey of self-redefinition.

Overall, Mika’s work is rich in symbolism and reflects a nuanced understanding of the novel’s themes, demonstrating both creative insight and technical skill.

Yiyi 的这组书封作品以《American Born Chinese》中的机器人形象为核心，聚焦“美国梦”与身份冲突的主题。她结合拼贴、水彩、浮雕与阴刻等多种版画技法，呈现出两个风格迥异但内在呼应的视觉场景。

左图中，机器人形象饱满立体，背景由色块碎片拼贴构成，象征主人公对主流文化的渴望与多重文化撕裂下的心理冲突；右图则通过简化线条与冷色几何背景，营造出“身份模糊”与“认同解构”的视觉隐喻，凸显人物在文化边界中的孤独与挣扎。

Yiyi’s book cover design centers on the robot figure from American Born Chinese, exploring themes of the “American Dream” and identity conflict. Using a variety of printmaking techniques—including collage, watercolor, embossing, and relief printing—she presents two visually distinct yet thematically connected scenes.

In the left piece, the robot appears vibrant and three-dimensional, set against a background of fragmented color blocks, symbolizing the protagonist’s desire for mainstream acceptance and the psychological tension of cultural fragmentation. The right piece, by contrast, simplifies the robot into minimal lines and places it against a cold-toned geometric background, creating a visual metaphor for blurred identity and fractured selfhood, highlighting the protagonist’s isolation and struggle at the cultural crossroads.

Isabella 的这组《The Hunger Games》书封设计作品以主人公 Katniss 凝视远方山峦的背影为主要画面，表现出她在压迫体制中的坚韧与孤独。箭袋与辫发等细节强化了人物身份，山脉与云层构图则营造出紧张的氛围。

两版设计采用不同色彩与技法：左图为多色滚印，营造冷暖交织的心理氛围；右图以墨绿与灰调呈现压抑孤影感。封面标题也做了压印处理，与整体风格统一。整组作品在构图、象征与视觉语言上展现了对小说内核的精准把握与艺术表达。

This set of book cover designs by Isabella was created specifically for The Hunger Games. The main image features the protagonist, Katniss, shown from behind as she gazes toward distant mountains—symbolizing her resilience and isolation within an oppressive system. Details such as her quiver and braid reinforce her identity, while the layered mountains and swirling clouds build a sense of tension.

Two versions of the design explore different visual moods: the left uses multi-color roller printing to create a blend of warm and cool tones, reflecting psychological complexity; the right employs dark green and gray tones to highlight a sense of solitude and constraint. The book title is embossed to match the overall aesthetic. Together, the compositions reflect a strong grasp of the novel’s core themes through symbolic and visual storytelling.

Berry 的这组《The Hunger Games》书封设计构思大胆，以“太阳之眼”为视觉核心，象征无处不在的权力监控与压迫。放射状箭头强化了统治力量对竞技场的全面掌控。

背景中的云层与山林营造出混乱压抑的氛围，左图采用紫调与橙色对比，呈现紧张感；右图以冷峻蓝调表达肃穆氛围。两幅作品虽构图相同，但技法各异：左图用拼色与手写字体增强视觉冲击，右图通过阴刻细节突显环境的荒凉感。

整体作品象征鲜明、构图讲究，展现了 Berry 对小说主题的深刻理解与视觉表达力。

Berry’s book cover design for The Hunger Games is bold in concept and rich in symbolism, with the "Sun Eye" at the center serving as a powerful visual metaphor for constant surveillance and oppression. The radiating arrows emphasize the Capitol’s pervasive control over every corner of the arena.

The layered clouds and forests in the background create a mood of chaos and tension. The left version uses purple tones and a bold orange eye to evoke intensity, while the right version features cooler blue hues for a more solemn atmosphere. Though both covers share the same composition, they differ in technique: the left employs color layering and handwritten text for raw visual impact, while the right uses subtle contrasts and relief carving to highlight isolation and desolation.

Berry’s work combines strong symbolism with thoughtful composition, offering a visually striking and conceptually deep interpretation of the novel’s themes.

Joey 的《The Hunger Games》书封设计以层叠山脉构建出强烈的视觉冲击力。高耸入云的黑色山峰象征 Katniss 在压迫体制下的抗争与成长，与背景中的白云形成鲜明对比，营造出冷静而压抑的氛围。

中央红色火焰徽章巧妙融入标题，象征革命与希望之火；下方绿色山石通过阴刻技法呈现出竞技场“自然”外表下的控制感。上下呼应的构图体现了自然与权力的张力。

作品采用分色印刷、纹理刻画与渐变背景，展现出诗意与压迫并存的视觉语言，充分表达了对小说核心主题的理解。

Joey’s book cover design for The Hunger Games features layered mountain imagery to create a visually striking and symbolic composition. The towering black peak represents Katniss’s struggle and growth within an oppressive system, while the sharp contrast with the bright clouds above evokes a calm yet tense atmosphere.

At the center, a red flame emblem is seamlessly integrated into the title text, symbolizing revolution and the spark of hope. The lower div uses green-toned stone textures with relief carving to reflect the arena’s seemingly natural yet highly controlled environment. The composition as a whole highlights the tension between nature and power.

Through techniques such as color separation printing, texture detailing, and gradient backgrounds, Joey’s design conveys a visual language where poetry and oppression coexist—capturing the core themes of the novel with clarity and depth.

Taisiia 的《American Born Chinese》书封设计以“阴阳”图案为核心，融合熊猫与美国国旗、鹰等象征元素，生动展现主人公在中美文化夹缝中的身份认同冲突。她参考“太极图”构图，强化文化对立与共生的张力。

作品展示了从手绘草图到黑白印刷的完整创作过程，体现出她对主题的深入思考。书封中还融入自由女神手持熊猫玩偶与火炬上的鹰的素描草图，直观融合中美文化，呼应小说的双重文化背景。

Taisiia’s book cover design for American Born Chinese centers on the Yin-Yang symbol, blending cultural icons such as the panda, the U.S. flag, and the eagle to express the protagonist’s struggle with identity between Chinese and American cultures. The use of the traditional Taiji (Yin-Yang) structure reinforces the tension and coexistence between the two worlds.

The design showcases her full creative process—from pencil sketches to color drafts to the final black-and-white print—reflecting thoughtful engagement with the theme. She also includes sketch elements like the Statue of Liberty holding a panda toy and an eagle atop the torch, visually fusing Eastern and Western imagery and echoing the novel’s dual cultural context.