︎

ЛЕПА 珠珠 СТOJАНOВИЋ

ЛЕПА 珠珠 СТOJАНOВИЋ
Spring 2024

Four Treasures of the Sky



MOTION DESIGN II

Title Design · 2D Animation · After Effects

Four Treasures of the Sky is a novel by Jenny Tinghui Zhang. It follows young orphan, Daiyu, who, in her fight for survival, must take on various identities, but struggles to understand where her real identity lies in the process. Her journey takes her from a calligraphy school in China, to being kidnapped to the American West, all during the horrific time of the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882).

This title sequence imagines Zhang's novel as a limited series, taking its graphic language from the story's contrasting settings of East and West, while playing off the idea of hidden and lost identity.
Final Storyboard

The symbolism of calligraphy


The graphic approach of abstract brushstrokes and ink bleeds originates from Zhang’s poetic use of Chinese calligraphy as a symbol for Daiyu’s journey and identity throughout the novel.

The importance of this symoblism is emphasized by the title of the novel, a play on the Chinese concept of the "Four Treasures of the Study", or the tools of a calligrapher: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.



Source: Asian Art Museum
The color palette is limited to black and white, continuing the portrayal of traditional Chinese calligraphy, while also communicating the opposing concepts of East versus West, internal versus external identity, and all the gray area in between.


The inky lines and shapes follow long, smooth movements like the continuous strokes of a brush, interrupted occasionally with cuts to mimic the act of brush leaving the page to finish a stroke. As the ink bleeds, the credits are revealed, as a metaphor for the hidden layers of Daiyu’s identities and those around her.
“A resilient brush is one that, after depositing ink on paper, can spring back up in preparation for the next stroke. But resilience is not achieved by pressing harder. No, the artist must master the art of releasing the brush, giving it the space and freedom to find itself again. Resilience is simple, really. Know when to push and when to let go.”

— Excerpt from Four Treasures of the Sky

Typography and the American West


The majority of the novel takes place in the midst of the Chinese Exculsion Act in the 19th-Century American West.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned all Chinese immigration into the United States for 10 years, and was the first major law restricting voluntary immigration to the country. It fueled horrific anti-Chinese racism across the country, leaving Chinese immigrants unsafe as they were killed, injured, or made to flee their homes.

Although this ban loosened slightly over the next 60 years, large-scale Chinese immigration would not be restored until the Immigration Act of 1965.
 Source: Equal Justice Initiative

Poster from 1880s, Source: NBC News
The primary typeface, Tuppence, is used for its Western qualities, similar to the woodblock type used on posters of the time, as seen above. Its softer curves and flared serifs also maintain a calligraphic quality.

Degular is the secondary typeface, a grotesque that brings the narrative into the modern era by as this story and its societal issues are not just a relic of the past. Its skeleton matches Tuppence, with wide square proportions and generous curves.

Final Title Sequence


Daiyu's stories weave through and bleed into one another, like the brushstrokes across each frame. Her tragic story ends in darkness but with peace, as the final frames surrender to the inky black.