Looking Up to the Heavens
185×257mm
2026.1
The design of Looking Up to the Heavens begins with the concept of “seeing”, seeking to reshape the relationship between the reader and the painted sculptures of Tiefo Temple through the medium of the book. Facing these sculptures that have endured centuries of history, the design avoids a direct and brightly lit presentation, instead creating a low-luminance visual system that guides the viewer into a gradual process of entering, observing, and contemplating.
The entire book is constructed with black specialty paper and a folded binding structure, with black-painted edges. The most powerful Four Heavenly Kings sculptures of Tiefo Temple are concealed within the folded layers. Like the closed doors of an ancient temple hall, the cover requires the reader’s physical interaction to gradually reveal the hidden images. The interior continues this visual language, using black specialty paper with metallic gold printing, transforming the sequence of pages into a cinematic narrative that moves from distant observation, to close-up details, and finally to a departure from the temple space.
The main text is printed on matte paper with a four-color process, reducing reflections and preserving the subtle tonal transitions and textures within the photographs. The layout establishes a three-layer narrative structure: text, sculptural organization, and detailed imagery. Spatial references first create an understanding of the sculptures’ positions and relationships, while close-up photography then leads readers toward deeper visual contemplation, moving from rational recognition to emotional perception.
Looking Up to the Heavens is not simply a documentation of Buddhist sculptures; it is an exploration of how light and darkness, concealment and revelation, can reshape the act of seeing. Through the rhythm of material, structure, and image, the book becomes an experience of entering an ancient temple and encountering the spiritual intensity of its sculptures.
