Skin Deep is a collection of parables in the form of five novellas by Thai national artist, V. Vinicchayakul. While each parable is told from a uniquely Buddhist perspective and offers an insight into the Thai way of thinking, all contain a message that can be universally applied. A recurring theme that runs through the parables is the idea that things are not always what they appear to be, and that everything is subject to change. The collection is named after the last story, Skin Deep, which illustrates that beneath outward appearances lies as itself that is fluid and ever changing. Together, these stories offer profound reflections on Buddhist teachings of impermanence, compassion, and detachment, providing international readers with a chance to engage with modern Thai literature in a refreshing and accessible format.

The masks in this book, all presented by two or more images, are accompanied by brief commentaries that offer readers — be they scholars or enthusiasts — an insight into these veritable masterpieces of African art, which in most cases boast an exceptional pedigree, having been included in the most important international collections of extra-European art.

Even though the works with which Zhang has chosen to surround himself are not all extra-European, as Marco Riccòmini explains in his introduction, offering a broader framework for the interpretation of Zhang’s esthetic choices, we have chosen to devote this elegant and carefully crafted publication to a specific aspect of African material culture.

Text in English and French.

Paul Ibou designed during his career more than 350 logos & symbols and is one of the important pioneers in modern graphic design. Next to his design activities he published numerous books on symbols and logo’s. In 1991 he built the foundations of the book Letters As Symbols: the concept, the cover and the basic layout. The book was never released and remained untouched for decades until young graphic designer Christophe De Pelsemaker and Paul Ibou established a collaboration in 2017. Paul Ibou acquired an enormous amount of logos through submission forms that were sent to him by the leading logo and brand identity designers of that time like Saul Bass, Burton Kramer, Anton Stankowski, Yasaburo Kuwayama, Ken Cato, Wim Crouwel and many more. Letters As Symbols, contains logos from these submissions and was completed with contemporary work. Each logo is based on a letter of the Latin alphabet (A-Z) and forms an excellent source of inspiration for designers, artists, agencies, teachers, typographers, students, and many others.