Night Tale Series Illustrationum by Wenxu Zhao

Night Tale Series Illustrationum by Wenxu Zhao is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum in Graphica Competition Category.

FerrumGraphica· 2025

Night Tale Series Illustrationum

by Wenxu Zhao

Client: Strawberry Fish Girl

Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum Winner in Graphica Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #167003

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Night Tale Series Illustrationum

Fabula Nocturna series illustrationum est quae iter Puellae Piscis Fragariae nocte aestiva sequitur. Series phantasiam et surrealismum miscet ut fabulam finis aperti praebeat. Quaeque scaena personam inter magna animalia, flores et plantas ponit, quae metaphorae sunt cogitationum intimarum, propositorum et curiositatis. Illustrationes digitaliter alta resolutione creantur, ut subtilia momenta etiam in magnis magnitudinibus clara maneant. Opus tamquam impressiones, tamquam magnae proiectiones, vel tamquam installatio immersiva parietes spatii interioris tegens, ostendi potest.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Ferreum

Night Tale Series Illustrationum victor est Praemii A' Design Award Ferreum, honoris amplissimi formis bonis dati, quae postulatis professionalibus et industrialibus ab creationibus bene formatis exspectatis satisfaciunt. Victores Ferrei magnam peritiam, altam specializationem, intellectum periti et facultatem creandi auctorum suorum ostendunt. Exspectatur Night Tale Series Illustrationum creationem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, practicam et novam fore. Haec forma Ferreo victa optimas industriae consuetudines integrat et proprietates technicas idoneas, cum scientia et talento coniunctas, habet. Night Tale Series Illustrationum ob diligentiam suam honoratur et ad vitae qualitatem emendandam formatum est, ut mundum meliorem reddere iuvet.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The work is an illustrated series depicting the whimsical journey of Strawberry Fish Girl on a summer night. Blending fantasy and surrealism, it invites viewers into a world where imagination flows freely. Each detail whispers fragments of an open ended tale.
Dimensions & Packaging: 17x22 inches (each), 600 dpi. Flexible sizing based on medium and usage.
Tags: illustration, children's illustration, fantasy, animals, dream world, summer night
Production Technology: The illustrations are digitally created using Photoshop and other graphic design software, allowing for high resolution detail and intricate artistry. The original works are large scale, designed to showcase a rich tapestry of fine details when viewed up close or projected onto expansive surfaces.
Design Challenge: The challenge is to artfully integrate childlike innocence, fantasy, and mystery into illustrations rich with intricate details, while maintaining a sense of visual unity and storytelling coherence.
Research: This project began with the creation of the Strawberry Fish Girl, a whimsical character embodying innocence, mystery, and fantasy. Building upon her image, a series of illustrations were developed, exploring her actions, surroundings, and interactions with her dreamlike environment. Through an introspective creative process, I crafted a narrative that serves as an honest reflection of their inner world, weaving together a story filled with childlike wonder and gentle mystery.

Each illustration carefully incorporates floral elements, plants, and animals, meticulously designed to contribute to the immersive dreamscape. Using digital tools such as Photoshop, the work balances intricate details and visual unity, resulting in a collection that is both technically refined and emotionally resonant. Whether presented as traditional prints, large scale projections, or immersive installations, the series invites viewers to step into a delicate, otherworldly world shaped by imagination and introspection.
Inspiration: This illustration series draws inspiration from my self reflection and dreams. I’ve visualized my self ego through a mystical, dreamlike world, where the interaction between the Strawberry Fish Girl and large animals becomes a metaphor for my inner landscape. Each animal symbolizes a part of me, my goals, my ideas, and my curiosity, weaving together a tale that bridges imagination and introspection.
Project Duration: The work was originally created in 2022, New York City, USA, and revised in 2024, New Jersey, USA.
Operation Flow: The illustrations can be showcased as traditional artworks in an exhibition, projected onto large outdoor screens on summer nights, or enveloping all four walls of an expansive indoor space, creating an immersive, dreamlike experience where the audience can step directly into the enchanting world of the paintings.