GRUNAAD - A10 - 12 Vietnamese Zodiac

Poster Series by Phạm Việt Dũng, Hoàng Đức Hải.
Article by KlayBenvenuto.

©12 Vietnamese Zodiac" is a poster series by Phạm Việt Dũng (Kaixa) and Hoàng Đức Hải.
The project is an exploration of the Vietnamese Zodiac signs, deconstructing and rearranging them following today's visual trends. The visual language shifts from poster to poster, moving from geometric compositions, layered photography, textile textures to illustrative elements and found materials. References also range from traditional Vietnamese iconography to Y2K graphics to internet culture. Here follow the creator's desriptions of each poster's meaning.

Poster 001 - Tý / Rat / 鼠
"Chuột xa trình gạo" - Like a mouse falling into a jar of rice.
A mouse accidentally falls into a large jar of rice and finds itself surrounded by endless food. The proverb describes someone who stumbles into a life of luxury or wealth by pure luck, without much effort.

Poster 002 - Sửu / Buffalo / 牛
"Đàn gáy tai trẻ trâu" - Strumming the lute into a young buffalo's ear.
It describes a situation where someone is wasting their breath or talents on an audience that cannot appreciate or understand them. Young street boys waste their time on wild parties at bars and clubs, squandering their youth on silly things.

Poster 003 - Dần / Tiger / 虎
"Cái con hổ cái nhà tôi" - My house's female tiger.
Represents a woman who is fierce, powerful, or scary when angry, who rules the household with an iron fist. But sometimes, that wife is as affectionate and sweet as a cat, no longer a tiger, the essence of the delightful aspects of family happiness.

Poster 004 - Mão / Cat / 卯
"Mèo khen mèo dài đuôi" - Cat praises cat long tail.
This proverb is used to describe someone who boasts about themselves or brags about their own qualities because no one else is doing it for them. Those who might be called "pick meow" always think they're the center of attention and are difficult to understand as to what they truly want.

Poster 005 - Thin / Long / 辰
"Cá chép hoá rồng" - Carp transforms into long.
It describes a person who, through extraordinary effort and determination, overcomes great obstacles to achieve immense success. The poster aims to depict the competitive spirit in life through effort: many people participate, but only a few truly achieve success.

Poster 006 - Tỵ / Snake / 巳
"Mềm nắn rắn buông/vuông" - Square snake / Soft squeeze, hard let go.
Being aggressive toward those who are weak but backing away or acting humble when facing someone stronger or tougher. Sometimes in life, if the other party pushes too far, you fight back. "Square snake" can be understood as a bizarre, deformed shape.

Poster 007 - Ngọ / Horse / 午
"Quân tử nhất ngôn / tứ mã nan truy" - Four horses difficult to chase.
In Vietnamese culture, this proverb emphasizes integrity. Once a person of honor makes a promise, they must fulfill it at all costs because words, like arrows, cannot be retrieved once released. But in life, sometimes those who appear that way are the ones who break their promises the most.

Poster 008 - Mùi / Goat / 未
"The G.O.A.T. - CR7" - Cristiano Ronaldo.
Who is the GOAT in your heart? The poster is inspired by the legendary temple of football, incorporating elements and the colors of the Portuguese flag.

Poster 009 - Thân / Monkey / 申
"Khỉ đá / Khỉ đồ chơi / Khỉ chơi đố" - Wukong / The Stone Monkey King.
The basic meaning of "Khỉ đá" is about the Monkey King, but in Vietnamese the word "stone" has many meanings: "đá" is just a rock, but "đá" can also mean a drug. The poster depicts a playful scene of an out-of-tune Monkey King playing with Lego materials.

Poster 010 - Dậu / Rooster / 酉
"Ngủ gà ngủ gật" - Sleep chicken sleep nod.
It describes a state where a person is lethargic, occasionally nodding off due to extreme sleepiness, but not yet in a deep sleep. The context in the poster suggests nodding off to sleep, but with elements of drug use or hallucination.

Poster 011 - Tuất / Dog / 戌
"Chó cậy gần nhà" - Dog relies on being near house.
This proverb describes someone who is arrogant or aggressive only because they are in a familiar environment or protected by powerful people. The meaning also includes unemployed young men who like to hang out and cause trouble in the neighbourhood.

Poster 012 - Hợi / Pig / 亥
"Chữa lợn lành thành lợn quê" - Fix healthy pig into lame pig.
This phrase refers to people who are unskilled or lack knowledge but like to show off, interfere in other people's work, or repair things without permission. The age-old story goes that when you work on a design project with someone who lacks expertise, things gradually spiral out of control.

Google Sites

Report abuse