화투 ('Hwa-tu')
Korean poker cards Design Concept
Discipline
Packaging
Industrial/ Product Design
Client
Hanyang
Tools
Adobe Photoshop
Sector
Design & Architecture
The Korean poker cards project is a stunning redesign of a traditional poker deck, with a distinct Korean personality inspired by 화투, or 'Hwa-tu' flower cards. This redesign features a striking combination of fine art with 도깨비, an especially important mythical creature in Korean folklore, as the main iconic design.
My inspiration for this design came from a variation of Korean traditional patterns, symbols, and colours, which were designed based on Hanbok, Korea's traditional clothing, and Dancheong, the Korean art of painting buildings. The symbols focus on patterns that were printed or handcrafted on Hanbok worn by rulers and aristocrats, and can be divided into five categories of different meanings: nature, plants, animals, geometry, and scripture.
A world of colours, design and rich symbolism
Dancheong consists of five basic colours: blue, red, black, white, and yellow. These basic colours can be mixed together to form countless other colours, are related to the traditional five elements theory. The incorporation of the five elements theory into Dancheong epitomises the ancient Koreans’ desire for stability and peace in the present life and a rewarding afterlife.
