The Iliad & The Odyssey
Tales of the Egoistic and Egotistic
Design book covers and internal pages for two of Homer's most well-known Epics: The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Book Construction:
-Laser-cut Acrylic Mirrors / Hand-bound Books / Coptic stitch Binding
-Double Hard-covers / Swiss Binding style / Faux-Emboss
The idea is to give the two ancient Epics a modern and conceptual design while still showcase their traditional vibes.
The Main Design concept for the two books is 'Revelation', revealing the true natures of the two Epics, which are Tales of the Egoistic (The Iliad) and Egotistic (Odyssey).
While many consider these two Epics depict Heroism, I beg to differ. Reading through both Epics, I noticed all the main characters are very self-absorbed. In The Iliad, Achiles and many other men always selfishly put their needs above everyone else's. In The Odyssey, Odysseus and many characters he encountered along the way, think that they are more superior and more important than others. These ideas lead to my concept of Revelation - revealing the true natures of the Epics.
The Mirrors support the idea of the Egotisticism and Egoisticism. With The Iliad, The Triangle-shaped Mirror represents masculinity, aggressions and wars. With The Odyssey, which is the sequel to The Iliad, it’s a square with waves, also represents masculinity and the "supposed" stability after the war, the waves represent both the sea and the obstacles Odysseus encounters.
The design structures of the book resemble the human body or human psyche with different layers. The first layer, the bellyband, represents initial identities, which in this case, are the titles of the books. The second layer is the first hard cover which is attached to the bellyband and represents the skin or armor to protect what’s inside. Strip those layers, revealed the second Red hardcover which represents blood and the true nature of the books.
Coptic stitch Binding gives the books a traditional vibe and handcrafted quality.
Inside each book, there's a book mark with the definition of the word that represents that Epic ("Egoistic" for The Iliad and "Egotistic" for The Odyssey).
