Book under the table: The transformative situatedness in the graphic design of independent art books in the context of book fairs and publishing practices in China
This practice-led research explores the graphic design of independent artists’ books (Phillpot, 1989) in China (Millichap, 2014) through the idea of the 'book under the table.' In contrast to mainstream publications that operate within established publishing systems, these books are often produced, circulated and encountered through temporary networks such as art book fairs, exhibitions, independent publishing communities and other cultural spaces. 'Book under the table' is understood as a situated position, whose meaning, legitimacy and visibility can shift as a publication moves between different publishing, exhibition and institutional contexts. Graphic design therefore does more than shape the visual form of the book: it mediates how a publication enters, adapts to and communicates within these changing situations. This understanding draws on approaches that treat meaning as socially and materially situated (Kress, 2010; Pink, 2015).
My research examines this condition through iterative case studies (Yin, 2018), multimodal analysis (Bezemer and Kress, 2016), participatory workshops and my own publishing practice. It focuses particularly on the ways graphic strategies emerge through bilingual structures, visual mimicry, relational communication, archival construction and participatory forms of publishing. Through discovering the concept of transformative situatedness, my research asks how graphic design participates in the changing position of independent artists’ books, and how temporary forms of legitimacy are produced through their encounters with fairs, institutions, audiences and publishing networks. Besides, it is considered as a dynamic cultural practice whose meaning is continuously shaped by where, how and with whom a book is produced, displayed and circulated.
Key details
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Research projects
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More about Yunqi
Biography
Yunqi is a graphic designer, a researcher and an intercultural book-making practitioner in alternative bookstores and art book fairs. She is also a Tutor of the Typography Short Course at the Royal College of Art.
Her work primarily involves multi-media textual installations based on the concepts of artists' books and fanzines, with a passion for exploring the unconventional visual narratives and the communication function of books.
Degrees
(2022) Master of Art in Visual Communication, Graphic Design Pathway, Royal College of Art, London, UK
(2020) Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and Art Direction, Visual Design Pathway, NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan, Italy
(2020) Bachelor of Fine Art in Visual Communication Design, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Experience
(2025-2026) Tutor of Typography, Royal College of Art, London, UK
(2025-2026) Editor and peer review panel member of itinerant space, Royal College of Art, London, UK
(2026) Speaker, Seizing Change: Artefacts and Findings in Visual-Material Activism, Centre for Creative Arts, Cultures & Engagement, London Metropolitan University
(2025) Special Lecturer, MA Graphic Communication Design, Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts, London, UK
(2025) Keynote Speaker, Centre for Visual Cultures (Royal Holloway, University of London) / Royal College of Art Postgraduate Research Seminar, London, UK
(2025) Keynote Speaker, Materiality of the Book Symposium, Royal College of Art, London, UK
(2025) Invited Cover Artist, The Blue Notebook: Journal for artists' book, The Centre for Print Research, UWE Bristol, Bristol, UK
(2024-2025) Team Leader of RCA Research Biennale: Visual/Communication Team, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Awards
(2025) Professional Best of Show Award, PRINT Awards
(2025) First Place in the Books Category, PRINT Awards
(2025) Award of Excellence, Communication Awards
(2025) Wood Pencil Award, D&AD
(2025) Merit Award, New York ADC (Art Directors Club)
(2025) Winner Award, New York TDC (Type Directors Club)
(2023) Prize Nominee Works, Tokyo TDC (Tokyo Type Directors Club) Annual Awards
(2023) Experimental Publication Design of the Year, Award 360°
(2022) Graduate Design of the Year, Graduate 360°
(2022) Excellent Work, Tokyo TDC (Tokyo Type Directors Club) Annual Awards
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
(2026) In Search of Herland, Booksisland, Hangzhou, China
(2025) Type Player, China Design Museum, Hangzhou, China
(2024) 5th Feinaki Beijing Animation Week, Inside-out Theatre, Beijing, China
(2024) abC Art Book Prize Selection Exhibition, 8litheque, Paris, France
(2024) Around Publishing 2024: Reading Room, Kitchen, Garden, E. SCAPE Art Space, Shanghai, China
(2024) ABNORMAL: The Gravity of Type, Tiantai Art Museum of Future Society, Guangzhou, China
(2023) Tokyo TDC in Berlin, Center for Visual Arts, Berlin, Germany
(2023) Tokyo TDC in Hangzhou, X sign Space, Hangzhou, China
(2023) Award 360° Annual Design Exhibition, pidan Gallery, Shanghai
(2023) TDC Tokyo Type Directors Club Exhibition, ggg Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo
(2023) Metamorphosis of Rhythm, Shanghai Himalayas Museum, Shanghai, China
(2023) ART-ACT (Art Activism) Festival (Artist and Publication Designer), Media Art Nexus (Nanyang Technological University) and Ten Square, Singapore
(2022) GDC Award 30 Years Selected Exhibition, 10 cities in China and United States
(2022) 100 Young Artist Shortlist Exhibition, BIP Gallery in TX Huaihai, Shanghai, China
(2022) Absent Traces, London Craft Week, Bargehouse, London, UK
(2021) ABNORMAL Risograph, Bananafish Bookstore, Shanghai / LPS Park, Guangzhou,
China
Events
(2025) GLUE Art Book Fair, Institution of Contemporary Art (ICA), London, UK
(2025) GAF Shanghai Illustration Festival, Shanghai, China
(2025) A Bigger Book Fair, PECKHAM24, London, UK
(2024) 360 Design Festival, Liangzhu Centre of Arts, Hangzhou, China
(2024) inD Guangzhou Art Book Fair, Future Society, Guangzhou, China
(2023) SEA Art Book Fair, Fotografiska Image Art Centre, Shanghai, China
(2023) abC (art book in China) Art Book Fair, Ming Contemporary Museum, Shanghai, China
(2022) inD Guangzhou Art Book Fair, Future Society, Guangzhou, China
(2022) Pop Over and Join the Fete, Espacio Gallery, London, UK
(2021) abC (art book in China) Art Book Fair, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
(2021) Tokyo Art Book Fair, Tokyo Modern Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
(2021) UNFOLD Shanghai Art Book Fair, M50 Creative Park, Shanghai, China
(2021) Singularity Art Festival, Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, China
(2021) Picnic Art Festival, TANK Art Centre, Shanghai, China
(2020) Chengdu Art Book Fair, A4 Museum, Chengdu, China
Publications
Peng, Y. (2025). Penetrating into the crevices of the rock: a critical graphic design reflection in Chinese alternative artists’ books. Itinerant Space: PAPERS 2025
Peng, Y. (2024). “Aranya Theatre Festival Poster Invitational Exhibition: Kitchen Chicken.” Asia-Pacific Design. Sendpoints Publishing
Peng, Y. (2024). “Cyber Isolation”, “Abyss Staring”. Creative Book Design. Sandu Publish
Peng, Y. (2024). “Career Investugaton of 90s Designers”, Design 360° Magazine No.107
Peng, Y. (2024). Graphic Designer Unchained: empowering freedom of interpretation through nomadic alternative art publishing. Issue 2: iterations, Itinerant Space
Peng, Y. (2023). Independent Art Publishing Project: Go to the River; Rain Duplicate. Tokyo TDC: The Best in International Typography & Design Vol.34
Peng, Y. (2023). Independent Art Publishing Project: Rain Duplicate. Award 360° Annual Book 2022
Peng, Y. (2023). Independent Art Publishing Project: Rain Duplicate. Graduate 360° Annual Book 2022
Peng, Y. (2022). Graduation Projects Under Social Media, Interview with CheapBall. Design 360° Magazine No.98, Motion Design Thinking and Digital Design
Peng, Y. (2022). Independent Art Publishing Project: Abyss Staring; Cyber Isolation. Tokyo TDC: The Best in International Typography & Design Vol.33
Peng, Y. (2021). Independent Art Publishing Project: Abyss Staring. Asia-Pacific Design (Annual Book) No.17
Peng, Y. (2021). Independent Art Publishing Project: Vacuum Words Brick; In Bed; Abyss Staring. BranD (Magazine) No.57