Phedra
Euginia Tan
Published by Ethos Books
I was tasked to propose and design a book cover for Phedra. With Phedra, subtlety was key. I didn’t want the design and content to be battling for attention. It was clear that Euginia’s poems have to take precedence. As such, it was important to consider what to disclose and what to reveal. I introduced the embossed title text on the cover in order to bring about a kind of tactility that I hope was not too overt, but rather gentle.
In Phedra, Euginia tackles both "soft" and "hard" matter, shifting between delicacy and toughness. With that, I explored the idea of tension – this relationship between two traits that contradict each other, like how sans serif and serif fonts do.
The paper that was selected for it was from a discontinued series and the remaining quantity that was left in Singapore was used for the book's print run.
Phedra was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2018. If you're interested to find out more/to purchase the book, you can head over here. Phedra is also available for purchase at BooksActually and Kinokuniya.
