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InspirationGraphic Design

Pentagram's Charles Darwin-inspired campaign for London Design Biennale 2018

This year's London Design Biennale will be devoted to the theme of emotional states and how design affects every aspect of our lives – the way we live and how we live – and influences our very being, emotions and experiences.

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Orange paper mask with dripping form on black background, London Design Biennale 2018 poster featuring Emotional States theme

With the theme in mind, Pentagram – for the second consecutive time – created the visual identity and promotional materials for the Biennale, using a strict colour palette of orange, black and white. Taking inspiration from Charles Darwin's seven universal emotions, Pentagram created and commissioned a series of arresting masks, handmade by Wakefield-based paper artist Andy Singleton and photographed by London-based John Ross.

In order to subtly conceptualise the paper masks, Pentagram conducted an exhaustive audit of words, symbols, actions and facial expressions associated with Darwin’s universal emotions – anger, fear, surprise, disgust, joy, sadness and contempt. After compiling extensive mood boards, Pentagram identified reoccurring shapes and forms, which ultimately informed the visual signature of each emotion.

The avant-garde masks certainly bring the Biennale's theme to life in a way that is independent of race, gender and age. And the resulting visual identity has been rolled out across the event's online banners, print, outdoor, social media and marketing materials – which were also designed by Pentagram.

A figure wearing a handmade paper mask in shades of orange and red with jagged, flame-like shapes covering the face against a black background
Person wearing a bright orange paper mask made of layered petals with a smiling expression against a black background
Person jogging past a street display of six orange paper masks representing Darwin's seven universal emotions, created by Andy Singleton for the London Design Biennale 2018
Grid of six paper masks in orange and black representing Darwin's universal emotions, handmade by Andy Singleton for London Design Biennale 2018
Two handmade orange paper masks representing different emotions from Pentagram's London Design Biennale 2018 campaign, one with flowing curved forms and one with long dripping strands
Two paper masks against black backgrounds: an orange twisted face mask on the left and a sunflower-like orange mask on the right, designed by Andy Singleton for London Design Biennale 2018
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