Competing Projects 2025
LotusMafalda Tenente Editions
“Lotus” is an illustrated summer short story with a mild mystery flair. Set around Zurich’s Old Botanical Garden, the story follows the development of the lotus season and one artist’s search for creative breakthroughs. Twelve pages, five illustrations. A light volume for the summer season, stitch-bound in a double, dual-color letterpress softcover design.
Lotus is also the symbol of enlightenment, the round window its architectural metaphor in Japanese culture. The double cover design with a diecut window subtly alludes to the story’s title and the two tones of green found in a single lotus leaf. It also adds a three-dimensional aspect through light play. Materica Verdigris brought to life this three-dimensional aspect of the letterpress cover design and the warmth of the summer season. Materica both highlights and softens the semi-transparency of the book’s frontispiece.
