If you have been following our journey, you may have noticed that each year we give the stage to an artist to visualize our Tchi. This year we invited Antigoon. His graphic work of art brought to life with his self-built printing machines is characterized by abstract shapes and infinite lines. Considering our Chinese roots, we challenged Antigoon to make our Tchi visual by translating the mystical nature of the Chinese (Water) Rabbit into a minimalistic abstract form. The Rabbit is the zodiac sign of 2023 and is said to bring resilience and curiosity.
The Year of the (Water) Rabbit
‘Translating my abstract style into a Tchi was an interesting assignment. This year’s zodiac sign led me to the complete Chinese zodiac chart, consisting of 12 signs in total.’ Antigoon used twelve lines to build up his artwork, representing all animals of the zodiac. Highlighting four of them in a different color refers to the Rabbit being the fourth animal sign. Antigoon explains: ‘By letting the band shoot in all directions, I tried to symbolize the Rabbit’s resilience.’ Merge resilience with a dose of curiosity, another characteristic of the Rabbit, and you will continue to keep moving forward. Whatever path you follow, whatever you encounter. Pursue growth while strengthening your current position at the same time, which is illustrated in the artwork by the constant infinite lines.
The color pink used in the graphic is one of the lucky colors of the Rabbit, alongside blue, red and purple. The blue lines covering the background, almost looking like waves, are a hint to this year’s Water theme. Antigoon states that this artwork is one of the wildest creations in his style.
Tchi Gift
About the artist: Antigoon
Antigoon is a Dutch-based machine graphic artist, known for his work showed at Dutch Design Week, Lowlands Festival and numerous national expositions. The name is an alter ego. An alias, derived from his formerly used graffiti tag. His obsession with graffiti as a teenager has evolved over the years. Combined with his background in web design, it made him into the artist he is today. Another inspiration of his is punk music. ‘There is a certain beauty in the simple structures and imperfections with which people write songs. Building their own synthesizers or writing their own software to create sounds and rhythms.’
Our energy, our Tchi
We live in a time of constant and accelerating change. Traditional business models are not designed for this environment. When we were looking for a new way to organize ourselves, we skipped the management books. We rather turned inward, to connect with our Tchi. Let us explain:
“Tchai has its roots in China, where Chi is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophical tradition: the life force. A vital energy that is part of all that exists. Tchi is the sum of Tchai and Chi: when the people of Tchai all apply this energy to their work, a common goal is formed and the real potential is unleashed. With this energy flowing, we create genuine connections between brands and people”.
How Tchi is experienced is different for everyone, which is why we welcome all interpretations. We’ve teamed up with other creative minds who will take turns in giving our Tchi form. These representations are given a prominent role on our website, as well as in many other ways in and around our organisation. Meet us here from time to time and see how our Tchi transforms and grows.
