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Research
This project required diligent research into currency design and how crucial it is to a country's identity. I did a visual exploration into the bank notes of the Phillipines, with a sketch reconstruction and annotations. This helped me incredibly in understanding not only the layout and hierachy of currency, but of the visual and textual representations of the country.
Initial research into current bank note
I was also asked to create an image matrix of imagery I found to be interesting and unique to the Phillipines - disregarding currency in that moment. What were some of groups or concepts that were understated to those from others countries? Once the matrix was complete, it functioned as a large selection of visuals to utilize in my designs as well.
My Image Matrix for this project. Each column had a style or pattern as its focus, whether it be visually or analytically.
Sketches
Once my research was complete, I created polished sketches reflecting my ideas and chosen imagery from the matrix.
Sketches of Front & Back concepts
Final Designs
My final designs were formulaic in the way I executed them, but also varied in theme. The front of each note features an overlayed frame of the sun from the flag of the Phillipines, with the background using a pattern taken from the traditional style of tattooing - Mambabatok. The back of the notes also featured traditional symbols that interact with the chosen imagery.
Ten Peso Note
The ten peso note focuses on the country's architectural history. The architecture of the traditional villages is something to behold, but the way that the inhabitants tailored buildings created during Spanish colonial rule is incredibly unique.
Fifty Peso Note
The fifty peso note focuses on the country's oldest indigenous group - the Aeta people. They are an underrepresented group, and one that is unprotected by the government today. I wanted to express their importance to the establishment of the country despite this.
One-Hundred Peso Note
The one-hundred peso note is dedicated to the oldest living tattoo artist in the world, Whang-Od. Now 107 years old, Whang-Od is the only living artist of the Kalinga tattooing practice. I thought she had striking visuals, and I wanted to pay tribute to her and to her village, Buscalan.
currency pdf.pdfClick arrow to open PDF in Google Drive.
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