original title 108 devinettes du Tibet
publisher L’Asiathèque • 2020
project 130 illustrations as well as the motifs for the title pages and drop caps (as well as graphic design and the creation of the cover and inner pages as graphic designer)
translations and texts Françoise Robin, linguist, Tibetan scholar, professor at the INALCO, and Véronique Gossot, translator and Tibetan scholar
technique India ink and watercolors
manufactering 140 x 195 • 264 pages • 130 illustrations • Print in four-color process
The riddle game is an ancestral tradition: Tibetan children still play it in groups today. The authors Françoise Robin and Véronique Gossot took on the task of translating it for the first time in French and to transcribe the sound and rhythmic games, humor and poetry.
The book is designed to allow the reader to play: each riddle is set on the right page and the illustrated answer, in order to not be revealed right away, is set on the back of the page.
A range of colors inspired by tibetan textiles, reinterpreted traditional patterns opening the different chapters, illustrated cover pages and drop capitals, colorful headband… These design elements contribute to create a precious, joyful and surprising book.
To realize the illustrations I used my travelogue from Tibet, photos taken by the authors, objets loaned by anthropologists and members of the tibetan diaspora in Paris. I also had the privilege of having access to objects from the storage area of the Musée du quai Branly.
