20 KEN-TSAI LEE DESIGN STUDIO
“Kung Fu is often thought of by Westerners as just a Chinese martial art, Americanized much like Chinese takeout,” explains Ken-Tsai Lee, a New York designer originally from Taipei. In its true form, Kung Fu can mean any individual accomplishment or cultivated art, refined and perfected over time. “I know it is a treasure to come from a place with such a richhistory,” Lee says, “and so I want to share that wealth with Western peo­ple by making design resonating with communicative Kung Fu.”

Lee’s Daily Book 2007, designed for Fonso Enterprise of Taiwan, explores a topic familiar in both East and West: the nature of time. Each of the 365 pages can be viewed one day at a time, or as a flipbook—conveying the idea that time flies. Die cuts on each page transition from small holes to large hearts, providing “empty” space for reflection throughout the year. The back cover features an old Chinese saying—“Time is the revealer of a man’s sincerity”— which, Lee explains, “means that only through time is a person’s true nature shown.” It is a daily reminder to apply to the measure of our hearts, from East to West. by Aaron Tucker

ken-tsai lee design studio | Designers: Ken-Tsai Lee, Yao-Feng Chou | Art Director: Ken-Tsai Lee | Client: Fonso Enterprise