Application of Folk Culture in Packaging Decoration Design

Abstract: Computer design in the field of modern design has been widely used. But what brings is the tendency of patterning, proceduralization, and simplification of the design. Taking packaging design styles in countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan as an example, we discussed how to overcome these drawbacks, how to absorb nutrition from folk culture, folk art, and inspiration for creativity.

Keywords: packaging; vocabulary; folk customs; application

The well-known futurologist, American-American John Nesbitt, wrote in the book “The Great Trends - Ten New Directions to Change Our Lives.” The technology of the new information era is not absolute, and its success or failure depends on the consequences of a balance between high technology and high emotions. . He warned:. Once the balance between high technology and high emotions is lost, it will cause people annoying consequences. . Folk culture plays a balancing role in computer society.

The so-called folk culture refers to the custom activities formed by the broad masses of a nation under the long-term influence of traditional culture and traditional consciousness. It also includes various folk, folk arts and folk arts created by the people themselves. Folk art is deeply rooted in an ever-growing local culture. Therefore, the most national colors and local sentiments are the most affecting consumers' hearts.

China is an ancient country with 5,000 years of civilization. It is also a country advocating for decoration. In all historical periods, the Chinese ancestors left decorative inheritances of different styles: the primitive enamel decoration is simple and atmospheric; the frog lines, fish lines, and moires summarized through long-term extraction are full of vitality; the Western Han Dynasty lacquerware is decorated with black and red. Contrast with gold and three colors, the entire shape of the device is elegant and noble; in the Tang Dynasty, the frontier of the Chinese scroll and grass plant pattern was created, and the rich and prosperous Tangcao grain color changes are subtle and harmonious; the Song Dynasty ceramic patterns are characterized by delicate elegance and gracefulness; The improvised ink-and-ink style decorations and the folk paper-cuts, folk embroidery, folk wood prints and other art forms that are directly enjoyed by the people are simple and bright in color, forming the unique skills of traditional decoration in our country.

In the modern society, the market economy is becoming more mature and various new products emerge in an endless stream. With the extensive use of computer design, design and production are more convenient and faster. The tendency of patterning, proceduralization, and unity of design needs to be enriched and enriched with the use of folk customs. Some immature young designers relied too much on the existing design material and simply piled up the design elements, resulting in design ideas and expressions that are the same as those of the thousands. To overcome these drawbacks, it is also necessary to absorb nutrition from folk culture and folk art to find creative inspiration.

1 Folk Culture in Japanese Packaging Decoration Design

Japan, which has a highly developed economy and increasingly Europeanized life, has well preserved and inherited the outstanding cultural heritage of its own people. It has been called by the world a model of fusion of Eastern and Western civilizations.

Japan's ethnic packaging, its decorative style can tell the taste of the various styles of traditional Japanese decoration. Both the aesthetic consciousness from the Zen culture and the beauty essence of the urban culture in the Edo period, as well as the simple decoration techniques of the local folk culture. Zen's aesthetic standards are natural, refined, simple and simple, as well as inequality, loftiness, and quietness. It is one of the important characteristics of Japanese plastic art and packaging design.

During the Edo Period, Japan’s history was a period of economic and cultural prosperity. At that time, various arts and crafts industries were established and master craftsmen emerged in large numbers. The world-famous art of floating soil painting, lacquer art and costume dyeing arts, their decorative craftsmanship admires the techniques and makes them look beautiful. The pattern is characterized by delicate, luxurious, subtle, harmonic neutral colors and is an important form of Japanese flat decoration and packaging decoration. The most representative is the work of Japanese packaging designer Akira Akio. Mr. Yoshitaka Akira used to design and package traditional wooden toys and traditional foods for Japanese traditional folk customs. The packaging box also used wooden products and was extremely rich in Japanese national cultural characteristics.

2 The quintessence of Chinese culture and the simple and elegant fusion of Western aristocratic culture

Hong Kong has become a crossroad between Chinese and Western cultures due to special historical reasons. The combination of Eastern and Western civilizations and the unique features of international metropolises are closely entwined with the lives of Hong Kong people. Mr. Chen Youjian, a famous designer, combined the essence of Chinese culture with the simple and elegant temperament of Western aristocratic culture, creating unique design works with unique personality. The most successful aspect of Mr. Qiang Qiang, another famous designer, is the application of Chinese ink painting and Zen aesthetic tastes to modern graphic design. In his works, everywhere reflects the ethos of Chinese traditional culture, which is small, big, with little success and no intention. They made an outstanding contribution to the international development of Chinese culture.

3 Both modern and traditional styles

The combination of modern style and traditional style is the overall impression of visual design in Taiwan. In the past ten years. Taiwan Impression Poster Association. As the center of the Taiwanese graphic design community, he has made unremitting efforts to explore the nationalization of modern design, and has organized large-scale design exchange activities such as the creation of Chinese characters and the Taiwan Impression Poster.

Taiwanese packaging design draws more nutrition from Chinese literati and aristocratic art. Most of the decorative graphics come from Chinese paintings, embroidery, brocade decoration and traditional decorative murals. In addition, there is also a traditional aesthetic legacy from southern Taiwan, namely, gorgeous, rich and auspicious. Even the decorations chosen from folk pictures and paper-cut bricks also have a refined cultural taste. Compared with the mainland's graphic design, the graphic design of Taiwan's graphic design in the packaging design better reflects the traditional Chinese calligraphy skills, and the voice is appropriate and vivid. In the aspect of packaging, attention is also paid to the absorption of nutrition from the packaging of traditional packages, bags and boxes.

4 Conclusion

The two regions of Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as Japan, a country close to our country, have both a continuation of the Eastern civilization, but also exhibit different aesthetic characteristics due to their own differences in political culture and living space. They have made unremitting efforts in inheriting and developing the cultural characteristics of the region and are worth learning and learning from.


Huang Zhihua
(Weinan Teachers College

Source: Packaging Project